


The Bond of Friendship or Something

by sburch13



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-12 00:24:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 61,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5647195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sburch13/pseuds/sburch13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU "You can't be friends with someone like Chloe Beale for thirteen years and not eventually fall for her, and the more Beca thinks about it, the more she realizes that they were never just friends in the first place. There was always a deeper level, one that she never understood nor one that was really even revealed to her until just recently - thanks to their television show."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Now, if I understand correctly, you two have known each other for a while - in fact, I have here that you’ve been best friends for about thirteen years?” The interviewer, Alvin (“Call me Al!”) Collins, asks Beca and Chloe with a warm smile after quickly consulting his notes.

“Um, yeah, I guess it has been that long,” Beca says with a small laugh and glances at Chloe. “We pretty much grew up with each other.”

The redhead smiles and adds, “Yeah, I moved to Beca’s neighborhood when we were kids - I was about nine, and she was eleven.” She then turns to Beca and asks with a wide grin, “Do you remember how we first met?”

“No, of course not,” Beca says innocently enough but she’s wearing a small smirk that tells Chloe otherwise.

Chloe directs her attention back to Al and explains the encounter. “The dummy has never been very good with bikes, and there happened to be a pretty rough gravel patch right outside of my house and she hit it in just the right spot and it sent her bike skidding and herself flying off of it as a result. But, don’t worry, I was there to come to the rescue.”

“It was our very first meeting and she was already trying to be a mother hen to - “

“Beca, you are so much worse than me at the whole being a mother hen thing, you - “

“Shut up, Beale! I have street cred to uphold!” Beca exclaims, quickly covering Chloe’s mouth with her hand so the redhead doesn’t have a chance to continue ruining the good name Beca has worked so hard to establish for herself. She’s very street. Everyone knows it.

They hear Al laughing at them and Beca removes her hand from Chloe’s mouth but not before Chloe gets a quick lick of it, effectively making Beca gag and wipe her hand down the redhead’s arm.

Gathering himself, Al looks at the pair fondly. “Was it like an immediate connection thing or one of those deals where you kind of hate each other at first?”

“Oh, no, I would say it was pretty immediate. We hit it off really quickly - we were really fast friends. I think the very next day after we met, we were hanging out actually,” Chloe explains, smiling when she catches Beca shaking her head next to her out of the corner of her eye.

“No, I hated her,” Beca deadpans, no evidence on her face that would indicate she’s joking. “I still do, honestly. I really don’t know why I’m even here with her.”

Chloe turns to her and gives her this look and it’s like Beca just all of a sudden can’t keep up the facade or breathe and then she’s laughing again (so much for that Academy Award nomination). “I’m just kidding, Red. You know I love you like I love chicken salad sandwiches.” Then Beca winks and now Chloe is the one trying to breathe.

They share a soft smile, and Chloe is the first one to break and look back at Al. The young man, who can’t be much older than the two girls with his red plaid button-up and dark skinny jeans (an outfit that Chloe thinks looks too similar to one she bought her best friend a few weeks ago), is looking back at them with a gleam in his eye and a knowing smirk on his face. “So, have you two ever had any huge fights or arguments or knock-down-drag-outs before?”

The two women laugh and Beca looks at Chloe, silently offering her the lead on this one. Chloe smiles and says,“Um, no, actually. It’s pretty weird to me that we haven’t but also it’s really cool and kind of a testament to our relationship and its strength. We’ve never not gotten along and we pretty much agree on everything and when we don’t, it’s not a big deal - it’s completely trivial and we just move on. We were never, you know, like _those_ best friends who are always kind of spatting and are kind of catty with each other - you know the kind, the ones that are saying they love each other and they’re best friends one day and then the next they’re taking each other down for everything they’re worth. That seems to be a pretty popular thing to do as ‘best friends’ and I don’t understand that at all. We were never like that. We - even early on, like probably from day one - just always had this very mature understanding of each other and what we were to each other so we never really had to voice any feelings because we always just knew who and what we were to one another and where we stood. And I’ve always loved that about us. No matter what happens or how long we go without seeing each other, we know without a doubt that we have each other and that sounds so cliche and bad but it’s the truth, really.”

Chloe then looks over to find Beca smiling at her and it’s funny because her heart races a little more than it was from talking about them (she’s never been good at that) while seeming to slow down at the same time.

Beca nods slowly and adds her own explanation. “Exactly, yes. Chloe is quite simply a fact of my life. I mean, after thirteen years, how could she not be? Gosh, after two years how could she not be, you know? She has always been there, she always will be there, and I quite literally would not have life without her just because she is such a crucial part of it. And like she said, we’ve never really been ones to bare our souls to each other and to constantly be in this moment of telling one another how we feel for each other just because we always know. I promise, we have some weird sixth sense telepathy thing going on - it is ridiculous all the crazy stuff that happens to us. But as for fighting or arguments or anything like that, no we don’t really have them. Nothing she does gets on my nerves and we can’t stay mad at each other anyway because there’s always something else we want to talk or laugh about or do.”

“There was this one time though,” Chloe starts, looking more at the ground than anywhere else. Beca furrows her eyebrows at the redhead, waiting for her to continue. “Before we got into this business and got our show, Beca kind of went through this phase when she was nineteen where she was thinking she wanted to be in the military, and I did not take that very well at all.”

Beca sighs softly, knowing it’s a touchy subject for the redhead, and whispers a small, “I’m sorry.”

Chloe turns her head to the brunette and gives her a soft smile, letting Beca know it’s all okay now. She turns back to Al. “I just...I’ve had family in the military, and I know what it does to some people and how it is when they come back. I just never wanted her to go through that. And I couldn’t even think about the possibility of her not coming back at all.”

_Five Years Earlier_

_Beca looks across the table at the cafe they’ve met up at and tries to gauge Chloe’s reaction by the very neutral expression on her face. She’s just told the redhead that she’s signing up for the military and she’s not quite sure how she’s taking it. But when Chloe suddenly stands up and exits through the glass doors of the small shop, she has a pretty good idea._

_Later that night, Beca’s about to turn in when she hears a knock on her apartment door. She already knows who it is because no one else has those four signature knocks, so she doesn’t bother looking through the peephole. She opens the door and is met with a runny-nosed redhead with eyes to match and Beca notices that she’s dressed in one of the brunette’s own gray sweatshirts (so that’s where that went) and a pair of black sweatpants. Beca doesn’t like that Chloe looks so small right now and she briefly and very fleetingly thinks that it’s not fair how beautiful she still looks with her eyes swollen and puffy and her hair tangled and flying all around her from the slight breeze._

_It is when Chloe wordlessly steps into Beca, wrapping her arms around her waist and burying her head into the crook of the brunette’s neck, that Beca knows she isn’t signing up for anything without Chloe doing the same thing beside her._

“How did you two end up getting into this business together and getting your own  television show?” Al asks, making the mood a little lighter with the question and his smile.

Beca laughs for the thirty-second time in this interview and throws yet another look at Chloe. “It started out as a bit of a joke, really. We’ve always had that kind of relationship where it’s really witty and sarcastic and there’s a lot of banter going on and I’m pretty sure most people we come across think we hate each other but I guess a lot of people really liked us and thought we were funny because we started to get suggestions from a lot of our friends to make a YouTube channel, and to, you know, just do stupid video stuff on it. And we did it just as a… like a ‘what the heck’ kind of thing, you know, and we ended up really enjoying it so we started to do some skits and different scenes of stuff which was all really just a bunch of improvised lines and before we knew it, we were pretty huge and popular and an actual television producer contacted us about having our own show, which is _The Bond of Friendship or Something_. and now we’re in our third season and it’s crazy, man. Crazy stuff.”

Chloe chuckles at Beca’s explanation and smiles warmly at all the memories they’ve created together. They used to play school or house or pretend to be chefs in a restaurant (she’ll never let Beca live down that one time she got mad at the redhead because there were too many imaginary people giving too many imaginary orders for food for the brunette to sufficiently cook and prepare the imaginary meals). She never would have thought they would be here sitting across from a man who is interviewing them about their television show. Crazy stuff, indeed.

Al nods his head and looks in between the two.“So, you two are no strangers to the limelight or to the paparazzi, for that matter. Normally, most celebrities get a bit of a break, but you two are like flames for these moths! They are always all over you! You could be stepping out at 7 a.m. for a cup of coffee and they would be waiting outside your door! How do you handle that?”

“I don’t handle it well at all,” Chloe says sheepishly. “I’m someone who gets really bent out of shape pretty easily and that is one thing that almost breaks me. I can barely be around paparazzi if Beca isn’t with me. She’s the person that’s like always calm and cool and level-headed and she just keeps me sane and focused and relaxed. It makes me so mad because she’s so freakin’ good with them. She will have the most civil conversations with them and like ask about their day and what their favorite movie is or how they cook their steak and stuff, all the while trying to lead a freaking out me to wherever we’re trying to get and she will never lose her cool. It’s ridiculous. I hate it. I’m just like ‘break already, dang!’ But she doesn’t, I mean look at her.”

And with that, Chloe and Al both turn to look at Beca who is leaning back in her chair with a lazy smile on her face and her chin resting on her fist - relaxation personified.

Al chuckles and looks at his computer screen. “Okay, we have a question from a fan! Becky from Atlanta asks ‘Can you name one thing that you love about each other?’”

Beca and Chloe immediately look at each other thoughtfully for a few seconds and then simultaneously shake their heads, respectively saying “No, I can’t.” “I don’t think so.”

Beca is the first to break into laughter and she looks back at Chloe. “No, just kidding. Um… I love how Chloe is, hands down, the best person I know. Seriously. I really love how effortlessly and readily Chloe loves and accepts people. She doesn’t try to make people who they aren’t to try to fit her standards - she kind of molds her own standards to fit them while still being true to herself and that’s a really admirable thing. I also really love that she refuses to drink coffee after 11 a.m. That’s just a fun, quirky fact about her. She’s also painfully beautiful at all times of the day and I don’t know if I love that about her or hate that, so do with that what you will.”

Chloe raises her eyebrow at Beca and puts a hand over her heart in mock shock at Beca’s kindness (when she really is in shock at how attentive and thoughtful the brunette is) and then straightens up, folding her hands in her lap and squinting at Beca, seemingly studying her. “Beca is extremely charming without knowing that she’s charming,” she finally says after a few seconds of intense analysis. “She has this crazy charm about her that’s so rare and so much fun to see and to be a part of. I love how pretty much all of her qualities - her sarcasm and wit, her kindness, her humor, her hospitality - seem to mesh together to form this charm. It’s so much fun to watch her interact with people because she can say one word and you can visibly see whoever she’s talking to instantly get hooked on Beca Mitchell… Oh my gosh, and she has this wink that she does and it’s like you can literally watch people fall all over her when she winks at them. It’s quite impressive.”

“Is that how I got you?” Beca asks with a hint of sarcasm behind her trademark smirk.

“Baby, you still don’t have me,” comes Chloe’s quick retort and the way that Chloe has just called her ‘baby’ and then the way that she says the last part both have Beca’s throat closing and heart hurting for completely different reasons. She never thought it was possible to be murdered by a sentence.

Beca’s really not sure when it happened. There was just a very slow progression of her feelings for the redhead during the course of their relationship and she knows that the way she feels for her best friend now was the inevitable outcome of their friendship because what they have together has always been too beautiful and easy for it not to be. Because you can’t be friends with someone like Chloe Beale for thirteen years and not eventually fall for her, and the more Beca thinks about it, the more she realizes that they were never just friends in the first place. There was always a deeper level, one that she never understood nor one that was really even revealed to her until just recently - thanks to their television show.

_One Month Earlier_

_Beca walks into her New York City apartment, grocery bags in hand and cellphone resting between her shoulder and ear as she listens to her mother relay the weekly drama at her workplace. Placing the bags onto her kitchen island, she goes to remove her phone from her shoulder and holds it by her ear instead. “Well, I’m sorry that - oh, hang on, Mom, I’m getting a beep, someone’s on the other line.”_

_Beca quickly looks at the phone’s screen and sees that it’s “Princess Chlo” calling her. She chuckles and brings the phone back to her ear. “Hey, Mom, I’m sorry but Chloe is calling me. I should probably see what she needs… Okay, yeah, I’ll tell her… I love you, too, Mom. Bye.”_

_Beca ends the call with her mom and answers Chloe’s with a grin. “Hey, Chlo, I see that you’re up to your usual shenanigans with changing your name in people’s phones. Tsk, tsk, Miss Beale. Oh, Mom says ‘hey,’ by the way, and she wants you to call her more. She misses her Chlo-worm.”_

_Chloe laughs at the nickname Ms. Mitchell gave her when she and Beca were kids and Beca can practically hear her rolling her eyes. “I call her every week, Becs.”_

_“Well, apparently she needs you to call everyday,” Beca hears Chloe laugh again and can’t help but do the same. The redhead doesn’t understand how infectious she is. “So, what’s up, Red?”_

_Chloe sighs, and Beca can hear some papers shuffling on the other end of the line. “Have you read the script for next week’s episode yet?”_

_“No, I never read the script. We improvise pretty much everything, anyway,” Beca chuckles and waits for Chloe’s laugh, but it never comes._

_“I think you better read this one,” is all Chloe says and Beca can tell something is obviously bothering the other woman. “There may be a slight kissing scene.”_

_Beca lets out a sigh of relief, glad that no one is being killed off or anything drastic like that. This is wonderful! The show needs a good love story! “Wow, that’s great! Who is it?”_

_Chloe sighs again, and Beca doesn’t understand why she seems so upset by this. This is good for the ratings and it will be a lot of fun to watch! “Who do you think it is, Bec?”_

_“Well, it’s not us, so…” Beca says like it’s obvious and pauses, waiting for Chloe’s confirmation. When she hears nothing, it’s all Beca can do to not cry because this will surely ruin them and everything they’ve built together. They can not kiss. That is not them and it never will be. They are best friends - kissing would be super weird. So what if Beca has caught herself thinking about what Chloe’s lips would feel like and taste like on more than one occasion that doesn’t matter she does not like Chloe she is her best friend she is her best friend she is her best friend not any more not any less there is nothing but friendship even though every time Chloe so much as looks at her in any way other than a glance Beca has to remind herself to breathe because the blue in those eyes is drowning her and even though every time Chloe hugs her and fits her arms so perfectly around the brunette Beca wants to throw up at how good it feels and even though every time Chloe flashes that 1000 watt smile at her Beca thinks she’ll explode there is NOTHING more than friendly, platonic feelings there and Beca finally realizes that she can not kiss this woman because if she does then everything that she is trying to tell herself will suddenly be very untrue and she won’t be able to hide anymore. Then it all suddenly makes sense - the jokes and wolf whistles thrown around on set from other cast members, the knowing looks and smirks whenever she and Chloe go somewhere together or when she grabs another cup of coffee for Chloe because she knows the redhead never seems to remember to get one for herself, the waggling eyebrows, the quick glances and the quickly quieting voices when she and Chloe make their way up to a group of people. They are not just friends, they never have been just friends, and everybody knows it._

_Beca is pulled back in by Chloe’s small voice asking if she’s okay. Of course the redhead would worry about her when she was the one upset in the first place. “Yeah, hey, it’s okay. Do you want me to maybe go talk to Gail in the morning and I’ll see if I can get her to change it around or something?” Beca doesn’t know if she wants Chloe to answer with a yes or a no._

_“Yeah, that’d be cool. Thanks, Beca,” Chloe responds and Beca knows that she wanted the other answer with the way her body kind of deflates._

_“Okay, I’ll talk to her when I get on set in the morning, deal?”_

_“Deal. You’re the best, Becs. Talk to you later.”_

_“Bye, Red.”_

_Beca hangs up the phone and makes her way to her couch to lie down where she finds Chloe’s hoodie draped over the arm from when she stayed over a few nights ago. She laughs humorlessly because of course it would be here, there are pieces of the redhead everywhere in Beca’s life, and she picks it up and throws it on over her t-shirt and takes a nap. She’ll need the sleep because tomorrow is going to be so wonderful._

* * *

 

_“Gail, there’s no way we can do this. There hasn’t even been anything in the script leading up to this point - there hasn’t been any buildup or anything to suggest this relationship forming. It’s a bad idea,” Beca explains to Gail, the director and writer for the show._

_Gail looks up from her director’s chair and gives Beca an incredulous look. “No buildup? You’re kidding, right? That’s a joke? Beca, the whole series has been buildup, since the pilot episode. It may not have necessarily been written in the script, but you’ve said so yourself on many occasions that most of the lines that air are improvised anyway. You two have been building it up for three years. Putting it on paper doesn’t change what was happening already.”_

_“But, that’s just us! That’s just us being us! We didn’t mean for it to lead anywhere, it just happens.”_

_“Exactly, it was just a natural progression.”_

_“Ye- what?” Beca is slightly taken aback by the reality of those words. Natural progression? Is that was has been happening between herself and Chloe? Is that why the more she looks at Chloe now, the more she feels like she’s burning and the more her hands itch to just reach out and -_

_“You don’t think I see it?” Beca is broken from her reverie and brings her eyes up to Gail who is sporting a soft smile and a gleam in her eye that says she knows much more than she ever lets on. “You don’t think everyone sees it, Beca?”_

_And just like that, Beca is sure she’s dying._

“So, you two had a pretty big scene last week…” Al says, almost teasingly and both of the girls blush, slightly glancing at each other.

“Yeah, so we kissed? No big deal,” Beca nearly squeaks, shooting down her best attempt at trying to keep it cool. She sees Chloe smile out of the corner of her eye, though, and that calms her instantly.

“What was that like? I mean, kissing your very best friend of thirteen years? Talk about awkward.” Al is baiting them and they all know it.

Surprisingly and much to Beca’s relief because she is not prepared to answer any kind of question like that, Chloe takes the lead almost immediately. “It honestly was not as awkward as I feel like it should have been for me. I was just super nervous, and there was just like a lot of pressure to get it right and to get it right the first time. Um…” Chloe chances a look at Beca and gives her a reassuring smile before continuing. “Beca’s always been able to read me pretty well and I guess I was being kind of off with her for a couple of days before that scene, so the night before we were going to shoot it, she came to my apartment and she sat me down and we really talked about it and how it was going to go and what we thought it would and should be like - she was just so wonderful and so good about it. I couldn’t have done it without her there to calm me like that and kind of put my mind at ease. The trust that I have in her played a huge role because I know that she would never do anything that would make me uncomfortable and really, it was just so sweet. The day of the shoot, she kept asking me if I was okay and if I needed anything or wanted to talk some more. She was just… I don’t have the words, honestly.”

Beca reaches over and lightly punches the redhead in the arm. “Weirdo,” is her response but the huge smile on her face and the small squeeze she gives Chloe’s leg say otherwise.

_One Week Earlier_

_It is extremely safe to say that Beca is the definition of a nervous wreck right now. And she knows without a doubt that if she’s a nervous wreck, then Chloe is a nervous wreck times one thousand. But that suddenly doesn’t matter when Gail is yelling “Action!” and she’s looking into her best friend’s eyes and the trust that she sees in them is enough to make her want to cry._

_They’ve just acted out a rather angsty argument scene that ended with their “characters” sharing how they really feel about one another (those are always the good scenes) and now they’re supposed to kiss because naturally that’s just what happens in angst-filled situations where palpable sexual tension is involved and with the way her heart is going to rip her chest open, Beca is sure that this must be what dying feels like._

_The kiss is written to be soft and slow and kind of hesitant, and that’s really how it is. Or how it starts, rather. Beca rests her hands on Chloe’s waist, making the redhead feel oddly more secure, and her eyes stay on Chloe’s until she gets close enough to start flicking them to her lips instead. When she sees Chloe doing the same thing while slightly turning her lips upward in a smile that only Beca notices, that’s all the brunette needs to know it’s okay._

_The few seconds it takes for their lips to touch feel like hours, but when they finally connect, both sets of eyes immediately closing, no amount of time could have prepared them for the feeling. Having Chloe’s lips brush against hers is equally the most chilling and most warming thing Beca has ever experienced and it’s barely even a kiss yet. Chloe hardly has time to respond before Beca is pulling away slightly, eyes opening for one second to look at Chloe and within the same second, she’s going in for another kiss and Beca feels more than hears Chloe’s small gasp when their lips touch again - really touch this time. This one has more urgency to it and Beca unintentionally backs Chloe into the wall behind her as the redhead’s hands come up to Beca’s neck and snake through her dark brown locks, keeping her in place. She is overwhelmed with the scent that is so familiar to her and so undeniably Chloe - tropical hints of coconut mixed with warm vanilla - and the taste of her cherry lip balm and spearmint gum that she spit out right before the scene is still fresh and intoxicating and it’s all enough to make Beca feel like she’s going to faint. And when she feels Chloe’s tongue slide across her bottom lip, she’s sure that’s what’s occurred because there is no way that something like that would happen unless she was dreaming. But when Beca parts her lips to allow Chloe access and their tongues really taste each other for the first time, Chloe lets out a small whimper that Beca thinks is the sweetest sound she’s ever heard (and it was too real to be an act right?). Then Chloe is nudging her thigh in between Beca’s legs and Beca’s stomach does flips and she wants to cry at how good it feels to have that kind of contact with her and then she’s suddenly thrust into the reality of it all. Slowly sliding her hands up Chloe’s sides and then shoulders to finally come and loosely rest around the redhead’s neck, Beca reluctantly pulls away and rests her forehead against Chloe’s. Chloe brings her arms down to circle around Beca’s waist, almost pulling her into a loose embrace and they stay there for a few seconds, eyes never opening. They barely register Gail’s soft “Cut,” and it’s only when the crew starts to move around that Beca remembers just where they are and why they were kissing in the first place. Her eyes flutter open and she sees that Chloe’s face is flushed and she’s breathing heavily. Beca turns her head to give one last, lingering kiss to the redhead’s temple and pulls away softly before swiftly turning and walking back to her trailer. “It was all acting, Mitchell. Let it go,” she mumbles to herself._

After the interview with Al, Beca and Chloe decide to order takeout and go back to Chloe’s apartment. They’re finished eating now (except for the mini oreos Beca keeps snatching from the bag on Chloe’s coffee table) and they’re watching You’ve Got Mail, a movie that quickly became one of Beca’s favorites just because Chloe loves it and has made her watch it so much, ever since they were kids. Chloe is lying on the couch with her legs draped over Beca’s lap and the brunette’s left hand rests on Chloe’s knee, idly drawing circles on the soft skin there every now and then. It’s the same position they find themselves in almost every time they watch something together, but the domesticity and intimacy of it all abruptly hits Beca in the gut and she suddenly wants to leave very badly. “Hey, Chlo, it’s getting pretty late. I should probably head home.”

Chloe doesn’t take her eyes off of her television screen, not daring to miss the ending scene that she’s watched 743 times and knows by heart. “But it’s almost over and you’ve stayed way later before, Becs.”

And it’s in the way that she doesn’t tell her to just stay the night like she normally would that Beca knows something is different. And she knows that Chloe knows. “I know, but I’ve got a big day tomorrow so I should probably just go on now and head to bed.”

Chloe’s ocean-blue eyes meet her cobalt ones and Beca knows that she knows that’s a lie without even actually knowing Beca’s schedule for tomorrow and she’s never minded it before but in this moment, Beca hates that the redhead knows her so well. “Okay,” Chloe responds softly, dejectedly, and there it is - the acknowledgment that something is different and bordering on wrong and the resignation to do anything about it, and it’s capitalized by the way Chloe removes her legs from Beca’s lap and seems to close in on herself, drawing her knees up against her chest and circling her arms around them in a very fetal-like position. It’s enough for Beca to feel like breaking.

“Okay,” Beca repeats it with a sigh as she rises from the couch and heads to the door, because she thinks that word is the finality that she needs when of course it isn’t. The finality that she needs is telling her best friend how she feels, _really feels_ , and how she has felt for probably almost thirteen years but she knows Chloe absolutely does not feel the same way. Right? Right. And having that is not worth the real finality of losing her very best friend over some stupid feelings. But the closer she gets to the door, the stronger the urge to turn back around and just explain already grips her and when she places her hand on the doorknob she is warring with herself harder than she ever has and -

“I wasn’t acting.”

It’s small, almost a whisper, but Beca knows she heard it and she is sure - she is _positive_ \-  that her heart stops. She turns around as slowly as she can, trying to coach herself back into breathing, but when she meets those eyes again, the attempt is futile. Chloe is looking at her from the couch, obviously trying not to cry, because she knows and she knows that Beca knows.

“What are you talking about?” Beca asks (No, her voice does _not_ waver at all, that is ridiculous.) and it’s cruel, really, that she’s asking Chloe that when she knows exactly what she’s talking about but the absolute need that Beca has to physically hear it come out of Chloe’s mouth is too much for her to care.

Chloe only raises an eyebrow and offers Beca the smallest chuckle she’s ever heard before she gets up off of the couch and makes her way to stand right in front of Beca. The brunette visibly swallows and she briefly wonders when the person she knows the best in the whole world and who has practically been her whole world for thirteen years suddenly became able to make _the_ Beca Mitchell so nervous.

“You know,” Chloe husks. And she does know. And she knows that Chloe knows. And she knows that Chloe knows that she knows. And she knows that when Chloe presses her lips to hers for their first real kiss (“The first one doesn’t count - that was on screen and we were in character!” “Whatever you say, Becs.”), she never wants to not know the feeling building up inside of her ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe settles down on her couch, warm apple cider in hand and a pair of black yoga pants on along with her favorite plaid button-up of Beca’s that she secretly (really not so secretly) stole. She just likes the blue color of it that brings out her eyes and okay, so she may also like that it still faintly smells of the brunette. Sue her. She lays her head back, closing her eyes and listening to the crackle of the fire she started blend nicely with the shower of rain outside. She’s had a very busy day on set and she’s looking forward to a relaxing night with Beca. As she waits for the brunette to arrive at her apartment, the shrill ring of her phone cuts through the peace. Sitting up slightly to look at her phone’s screen from its spot on her coffee table, she chuckles when she sees who’s calling and immediately scoops it up and answers with a toothy grin.

“Hey, Mama Mitch!” Chloe hears the older woman laugh at the name the redhead dubbed her when she was only ten.

**“Hey, my Chlo-worm! What have you been up to since the last time I talked to you?”**

Chloe can almost hear the smirk on Ms. Mitchell’s face, and she rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Well, nothing much, really, seeing as how I just talked to you yesterday morning, but, you know, whatever.”

**“We barely got to talk! You were really busy on the set of that silly show - which is amazing, by the way, and it just keeps getting better. But I do have to say, it’s a little odd for me to watch the kissing between you and my daughter. I feel like I’m invading your privacy.”**

Chloe chuckles and gives the woman a slightly apologetic smile even though she knows she can’t see it. “I’ll bet that is a little weird for you. But don’t worry about feeling like you’re invading our privacy - it’s you and about a million other people watching and Beca and I are quite aware of that.”

The older woman lightly laughs before growing slightly more serious.  **“How are you two doing?”**

Chloe smiles softly and unconsciously starts to twirl a wavy strand of hair around her finger before she realizes what she’s doing and stops. _ Ew, Chlo, don’t be such a girl.  _ “We’re really good. It’s only been three months, but we’re going strong.”

**“I’m sure you always will be strong, sweetie. There’s never been anything that’s been able to tear you two away from each other. But I know it’s different in an actual relationship.”**

“It’s actually not, Darlene. I was kind of thinking about that the other day - how it isn’t different. It’s exactly the same as it always has been, the only difference being there are some kisses thrown in. We’re still the same dorks we were when we were kids - her more than me but that’s beside the point - and we still insult the heck out of each other. I don’t think I could handle it if we weren’t still like that.”

**“Is she treating you right? Tell me the truth, Chloe. I’m not afraid to kill my own daughter.”**

Chloe laughs before that same soft smile forms on her face and her hand again starts to unconsciously twirl, this time playing with the hem of her - sorry, Beca’s - shirt. “Don’t even worry about it, she’s being the perfect girlfriend. Oh my gosh, that’s weird. I’m still not used to applying that word to Beca.” Chloe’s smile grows wider as she thinks about being able to call the brunette that and about all that Beca does for her. That’s another thing that really hasn’t changed, though - Beca being perfect. She’s always treated the redhead like she’s the queen of the world, even before they started “dating” (is it still dating if you already know everything about each other?) - offering to buy her anything she may want, standing up whenever she enters the room, letting the redhead have the chair she was previously sitting in if there are no more empty ones, pulling or pushing doors open for her, telling her how beautiful she looks even when she’s just in a sweatsuit, keeping her hand on the small of the redhead’s back as she leads her through crowds or the paparazzi (one of Chloe’s personal favorites (who is she kidding - she loves them all)). Beca Mitchell quickly mastered the art of “it’s the little things that count” from an early age. From the way she knows how the redhead likes her coffee and makes it just right to the way she massages the redhead’s temples when she has a headache. Of course, most of it is done with a snide comment and that trademark smirk that melts Chloe’s insides, but then Beca gives her a genuine smile and looks at her like she’s everything and makes her  _ believe  _ it, too, and Chloe knows she does the little things because she loves her. Beca’s thoughtfulness is enough to make Chloe feel like crying sometimes. “She is perfect, Dar. She takes really good care of me.”

**“Oh, she does, does she?”** And Chloe instantly knows that tone of voice and she can just  _ see _ Ms. Mitchell’s eyebrows waggling and the smirk firmly planted on her face - an image she imagines looks too similar to her girlfriend. 

Chloe can physically feel the heat rising to her neck and spreading over her cheeks and she’s sure her face matches her hair. “Dar _ lene _ . Not like that, that’s not what I meant… I mean, not that she… She wouldn’t not… We just haven’t, yet. I meant in other ways. Innocent ways.” She’s sweating, she knows it, she has to be.

**“Whoa, whoa, whoa, no wait a second. You mean to tell me that you have yet to consummate your relationship with my daughter when you’ve been completely wrapped up in each other for practically thirteen years?”**

Chloe brings her left hand up to her forehead and slowly drags it down her face because for some reason, talking about making love to her girlfriend with said girlfriend’s mother is slightly taxing. “That’s not how… Beca just wants to take things slowly. She’s being very respectful and it’s really sweet. I know that she’s just making sure that I’m completely comfortable with everything and that I’m sure I want to proceed with… things.” And, boy, does she want to proceed with those things. She feels like she’s burning from the inside out every time Beca’s dark blues sweep over her, let alone every time her fingertips so much as ghost over her skin, and her insides practically scream at Beca to just touch her -  _ really  _ touch her. And it’s not like it doesn’t get pretty hot and heavy or all of the touches are completely innocent. Chloe is positive that Beca’s fingers hold some kind of magic in them, and between the dances those fingers do on her skin sometimes and the very nicely executed nudges Beca’s thighs and knees carry out, Chloe already knows that when they do mutually decide to cross that final boundary, she will probably spontaneously combust. And she can only imagine how Beca’s selflessly sweet, thoughtful, and attentive nature will translate in the bedroom. Chloe turns to mush, and butterflies erupt in the pit of her stomach at the thought alone. And imagining those hands and what those strong but gentle fingers could do… But, Chloe respects the slow pace at which they’re progressing and taking things. She knows that it will be both of their first times with anyone - male or female - so of course she’s nervous, and she knows Beca’s nervous, too. Beca is undoubtedly the more dominant and leading one in the relationship but she’s never been one to really initiate things unless she knows without a shadow of a doubt that it’s okay, always thriving off of feedback and encouragement. The first time the brunette stayed the night, it took some coaxing from the redhead to get her to even lie down beside her.

_ Two Months Earlier _

_ Beca watches as Chloe climbs onto the bed in red pajama bottoms and a yellow tank top - colors that Beca thinks are way too bright for bedtime (“Seriously, Chlo, it looks like the sun has already come up.”) but are so decidedly Chloe that she finds herself not caring enough. The redhead snuggles under the covers on the left side and looks at Beca expectantly. After a few seconds more of Beca’s staring, Chloe decides to guide her through it. “Okay, so this is a bed. How it works is people climb into it, cover themselves up if they feel cold, and go to sleep. Simple, right?” _

_ Beca’s eyes narrow, and she shoots the other girl a look that clearly has “ha, so funny” written all over it and moves closer to her own side of the bed. Chloe turns to face the brunette and props herself up with her right arm. “Bec, we’ve slept in the same bed a million times. Probably more, actually. Just get in, baby.” _

_ The fairly new pet name and Chloe’s sincere, soothing tone make Beca’s eyes instantly connect with hers and they make her wonder why she’s so nervous about this. “I know, Chloe, but only before I knew what it was like to kiss you and now I don’t know if I can…” Beca trails off, noncommittally waving her hand towards the bed. _

_ Chloe smiles up at her softly and Beca knows she understands. She doesn’t want to overstep. “Beca. I promise, nothing you could or would do would make me feel uncomfortable. You know me too well, and I know you too well for there to be any awkwardness or discomfort. It’s okay to get in the bed with me. Unless, of course, you are not okay with it and that is totally fine, too.” _

_ “No. No, I want to.” The words are barely out of her mouth before she’s slowly climbing into the bed and lying on her back beside Chloe. _

_ Chloe stays propped and smiling at her before she leans down to place a kiss on the brunette’s cheek. But, Beca anticipates the action and turns her head just in time to catch the redhead by surprise with her lips. The kiss stays sweet and innocent with Beca’s right hand coming up to rest on Chloe’s cheek, thumb softly stroking the skin beneath it. The redhead pulls back and smiles again before dipping down and placing a light kiss to the exposed skin of the brunette’s shoulder and turning to lie on her back as well. “Goodnight, Beca.” _

_ Chloe finds Beca’s hand and gives it a small squeeze before turning and curling up on her left side, facing away from the other girl, and the brunette takes it for what it is - permission and an invitation. She rolls over on her left side, too, and softly scoots closer to the redhead, carefully (and she hopes casually) bringing an arm to circle around her waist. She lays her palm against the redhead’s flat stomach, feeling a bit of exposed skin from where her tank has ridden up some and her heart thumps wildly at the contact. Not feeling or hearing any sign of objection, she moves the rest of her body to perfectly fit the contours of her girlfriend, and she rests her head directly behind Chloe’s, nostrils instantly overwhelmed with the delicious smell of the redhead’s strawberry shampoo. She thinks she actually could be dying from the feeling of Chloe’s body pressed so closely and firmly to hers and when Chloe lets out a content sigh and places her right hand over the one on her stomach, interlocking their fingers, Beca knows she’s made a good move. She smiles against the back of Chloe’s neck before placing a kiss there and she’s rewarded with goosebumps against her lips and a small shudder. “Goodnight, sweetheart.” _

Chloe hears Ms. Mitchell chuckle into the phone at the flustered redhead.  **“Well, I’ll let you go Chlo-worm. My show is about to come on and I’m sure you have plans.”**

Chloe smiles and rests her head back against the cushion, glad to have their previous conversation over with. “Yes, ma’am. Beca should be over soon, actually. Bye, Mama Mitch.”

**“Bye, dear. Have a** **_good_ ** **night. I love you.”**

The suggestive tone that accompanies “good” almost makes Chloe cringe but she still grins into the phone. “I love you, Dar.”

* * *

 

Not too far away, Beca is at a grocery store picking up movie night essentials like ice cream, sour patch kids, cookies and cream hershey drops, beef jerky, Chloe’s favorite potato chips - the usual. She really should be used to the shy glances or even blatant stares she gets when she goes out but she doesn’t think she ever will. True to her southern raising, every person she makes eye contact with recieves a small nod of her head and a wide smile and in return she gets to watch their cheeks redden or grins split their faces. She’s just glad there isn’t any screaming or paparazzi. Some teenage girls here and there approach her and nervously ask for an autograph or a picture, and she happily obliges because she really does love her fans. She wouldn’t be doing what she loves without them and it’s a beautiful thing when she gets to see them smile because of something she’s done for them. Because of this, though, it takes her about an hour to gather everything and check out and she was due at Chloe’s apartment thirty minutes ago. As she walks to her car, grocery bags in hand, her phone starts to ring, and assuming it’s Chloe, she speed-walks to the vehicle and throws the bags in. Answering her phone without even looking to see who’s calling, she’s surprised when she hears her mother’s voice.

**“We have a problem.”**

Confused, Beca opens her car door and slides inside, cranking the car as she does so. “Um, with what?”

**“I just got off of the phone with Chloe and she says that you two haven’t slept together yet.”**

Beca shifts the car into reverse and backs out before shifting again and making her way to Chloe’s apartment. “Okay, a few things. One, how is that your business? Two, why did she tell you that? Three, why is that a problem? Four, did she seem upset about that? Like mad?”

**“It’s my business because I’m your mother and I might as well be hers, too. She told me because we were just having conversation. She didn’t set out to tell me - it just happened accidentally. It’s a problem because you love each other and you need to show her that. And no, honey, of course she isn’t upset or mad about it. She understands why you haven’t and she respects the pace at which you’re taking things. She thinks you’re being very sweet.”**

Sighing, Beca runs a hand through her hair as she waits for the red light to switch. “Mama, me loving her is not why it’s a problem. It’s exactly why I’ve waited so long -  _ because  _ I’m so in love with her. I mean, it’s  _ Chloe _ , Mom - the girl I’ve been best friends with for thirteen years, since we were kids. I want to do things right, make it special, whatever. I want it to be sweet, not rushed. I show her that I love her in other ways, smaller ways, you know? She knows I do. Not that I’ve exactly told her I’m in love with her but I mean, come on, how could she not know? It’s me and Chloe.”

**“I know that, sweetie, and I get it, I really do. You should still tell her, though. I know that you two have never been ones to talk about how you feel, always preferring actions but some things need to be voiced, Beca. Think about it.”**

“Yes, ma’am.” Beca’s arrived at Chloe’s apartment now and she parks and gets out, taking the groceries with her and cradling the flowers she bought for Chloe in the crook of her arm like a baby. “Hey, I’m at Chloe’s now for movie night, so I should probably go.”

**“You two still do Friday Night Movie Night?”**

Beca chuckles at her mother’s almost incredulous tone and quickly opens the door to Chloe’s apartment, not bothering to knock. “Every week.” She sets the groceries on the countertop in the kitchen and retrieves a vase from the cabinet under Chloe’s sink. She fills it with water and gently sets the flowers in it, admiring the contrast between their orange color and the teal kitchen walls.

**“Some things never change, do they?”**

Beca smiles as she catches a glimpse of the photobooth pictures Chloe has of them from when they were in their early teens on her fridge. “Never.” She smiles wider when she feels slim arms circle around her from behind and lips under the ear that doesn’t have the phone held to it. “I’ve got to go I’m in Chlo’s apartment love you bye.”

Her mother barely has her own farewell out of her mouth before the brunette is hanging up and placing her phone on the counter, turning in the redhead’s arms as she does so. “Hello.” She brings her hands up to cup the other girl’s face and leans in to give her a small kiss.

Chloe smiles into it and pulls away but tightens her grip around Beca’s waist. “You’re late.”

“I know, grocery store and teenage girls,” she explains, gesturing to the grocery bags and vase. “I got our junk food and I thought you might like some flowers.”

Chloe grins when she sees the flowers (a secret weakness of hers) and looks back at Beca, hands moving to grasp the other girl’s. “They’re beautiful, you really shouldn’t have.”

“Don’t be silly, Red. I wanted to,” she says, leaning in to give the redhead another chaste kiss. 

Chloe pulls away and leads Beca over to the couch so they can get comfortable and start the movie. “Who was on the phone?”

“Oh, it was Mama.” Beca watches Chloe get comfortable before sitting down herself. She keeps her arms up, waiting for the redhead to lay her legs across her lap before resting her left hand at its usual spot on top of the other girl’s knee.

“Really? She called me not too long ago. I guess she’s making her rounds.” The redhead chuckles and sips the apple cider she left on the end table.

Beca props her feet up on the coffee table and tries to act casual. “Yeah? What did you talk about?” Of course, she already knows what they talked about, but she wants to see if the redhead will disclose any information to her herself.

“You know, the usual. What I’ve been up to, how we’re doing together.” Chloe folds her hands in front of her and turns her head to face the brunette, smiling.

Beca nods and unconsciously draws a circle on the redhead’s skin with her thumb. “Nothing else?” Then she looks at Chloe and she really rather wishes she hadn’t done that because the smirk on Chloe’s face and the twinkle in her eyes say she knows what Beca wants to hear and she’s not going to give it to her.

“Nope.” She makes a loud pop with the “p.” Now she’s just being smug.

Beca continues looking at her and something shifts inside of her and she decides to forego dancing around it. Her voice comes out softer than she intends it to. “You know I want to.” And she does. She really, really does. The tingling feeling she gets in the pit of her stomach when Chloe even looks at her is enough to drive her crazy, let alone imagining touching her soft skin everywhere she can and letting the redhead do the same.

Chloe’s smirk turns gentle around the edges and her hand comes up to cover the top of Beca’s. “I know, baby. Believe me, I do, too. But there’s no pressure.” And that’s all that Beca needs right now. Turning her head to face the television screen, she waits for Chloe to press play.

About halfway through the movie, Chloe changed positions, lying her head in Beca’s lap. The movie is ending now and the brunette’s hand has started alternating between running her hand through the red locks and rubbing her thumb across Chloe’s forehead just under her hairline all the way to her temple. The redhead has her eyes closed at the soothing sensation and Beca thinks she’s fallen asleep until she hears Chloe moan slightly as she again runs her fingers through her hair, lightly scratching her scalp. The sound immediately jumps into the pit of Beca’s stomach, reaching further down than she really cares to admit or think about, and awakens a swarm of butterflies resting there. She instantly stills her actions in favor of focusing on her breathing.

Chloe chuckles softly and smirks, knowing the effect things like that have on her girlfriend. “That means it feels good.” Tease.

Beca stays silent for a few seconds, tracing the scar on Chloe’s forehead with her index finger before leaning down to place a kiss to it. She moves her lips to Chloe’s nose and then back up to her eyelid. “I know what it means,” she finally mumbles against her skin. 

Chloe waits for Beca to sit back up before opening her eyes and connecting dark with light (albeit a bit darker light due to some certain emotions coursing through her at the moment). She smiles and raises herself up, stretching her arms above her head, and Beca thinks she’s dying with the effort it’s taking to not stare at the exposed skin of Chloe’s abdomen as she does so.

Beca watches as Chloe gets up and moves to the kitchen with more bounce in her step. The brunette shakes her head and smiles at the sight, knowing full well what the other girl is doing. So what if it’s working?

Beca rises from the couch and sneaks her way over to where the redhead is pouring more apple cider. She comes up behind her and snakes her arms around her, resting her chin on the other girl’s left shoulder. She sees Chloe smile out of the corner of her eye as she puts the pitcher down and covers Beca’s hands with her own. 

“You know...” Beca starts before turning her head to kiss Chloe’s ear. “When you go to Starbucks or something…” another kiss there “...and you order a really hot cappuccino…” a kiss just below her ear “...and the barista hands it to you and it’s so warm in your hands…” a kiss to her jaw “...that you just feel it everywhere, like through your whole body?” A kiss to her pulse point.

Chloe tries to keep her composure and say “yes”, she really does, but it comes out as more of whimper at the feeling of Beca’s soft lips leaving a trail of fire on her skin the way they are. Beca chuckles against her neck before resting her chin back on the redhead’s shoulder. “That’s how it is with you.”

And really, if it were anyone else, Chloe would have laughed at the sheer cheesiness of the analogy, but with this being Beca, she doesn’t. Beca doesn’t say things, least of all things explaining how she feels, and because it’s so uncharacteristic of her, Chloe knows it’s important to her and important for her to say. And honestly, the sincerity with which she says it kind of makes Chloe forget what breath is for a minute.

“Chloe.” It’s the same sincere tone and it almost worries Chloe. Beca is not a serious person, what is going on?

Chloe turns in the brunette’s arms and rests her hands on the other girl’s neck, soothingly stroking her jawline with her thumbs. Beca’s eyes flit in between hers and over her face before she brings her right hand up and tucks a stray strand of red behind the other girl’s ear. She cups Chloe’s cheek in her hand, night blue eyes connecting with Chloe’s day ones and the emotion the redhead sees in them is enough to make her want to cry. She turns her face slightly to kiss the scar that’s adorned the outside of Beca’s thumb for years and the brunette gives her a shy smile. She knows what Beca’s going to say before she says it. It’s all over her face.

“I love you, Chloe.” It’s soft, delicate, certain. And, yeah, of course they’ve said it before but not in the context that she just meant it in, not ever after they kind of semi-admitted their feelings and became a couple. This is  _ the  _ “I love you”, the “I’m  _ in  _ love with you” that Chloe has wanted,  _ needed _ , for years. Don’t get her wrong, it’s certainly not a shock. She’s known, they’ve both known that they love each other. They’ve just never verbalized it. Like they’ve said many times, they’ve never been ones for verbal communication because they always just  _ know _ . It’s in the actions, the looks, the touches. It’s not a shock, but Chloe never could have prepared herself for how hearing those three words come out of Beca Mitchell’s mouth in the way that they just have makes her insides twist deliciously and butterflies flutter all the way to her throat.

“I love you, too, Becs.” She’s crying, she knows it, she has to be. And it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever experienced, really - their friendship blossoming into this.

And it’s in the way that Beca pulls her impossibly closer to her and presses her lips against hers in the most passionate kiss they’ve ever shared and in the way that Beca’s hands move to the back of Chloe’s thighs to lift her up and carry her to her own bedroom and in the way that Beca so, so gently lays her down and hovers over her that Chloe knows she will spend every second of every day making sure the brunette knows just how much she loves her.


	3. Chapter 3

Beca pulls Chloe closer to her by the waist and surges forward, capturing her lips in a searing kiss that makes her head spin. She’s waited close to thirteen years for Chloe to mean those words the way she just has, and finally being able to hear them has fed the fire that’s permanently in the pit of her stomach because of the redhead. Her hands fist Chloe’s shirt as arms circle around her neck, and their tongues dance over each other, smooth and soft, not forceful. Chloe tastes like apples and cinnamon, and the warmth of it all makes Beca want more, makes her ache.

She moves forward until Chloe’s legs are forced to spread slightly to accommodate being pinned between Beca and the counter. She takes the opportunity to slide her hands down Chloe’s sides and hips, caressing clothed curves on the way, and moves them to the backs of Chloe’s thighs to lift her up and settle her around her waist. Chloe inhales sharply against Beca’s mouth and her legs instinctively wrap around her. Beca moves them away from the counter and towards Chloe’s room, and she pulls her lips away momentarily to see where she’s going. Chloe’s mouth immediately finds her temple and traces a slow path from there to her cheek to her jaw, and when Beca gets close enough to the room to know that she won’t trip over anything, she moves her own lips to the juncture of Chloe’s neck and shoulder, nipping softly and taking in how Chloe throws her head back at the sensation. She lives for things like that, lives to make the redhead feel good.

Beca kisses under Chloe’s chin before reconnecting their lips, and she walks until the front of her thighs meet the side of Chloe’s bed. The kiss is slow, languid, intimate, and Beca gently lowers Chloe onto the bed and moves to hover above her, careful not to overbear. She moves her lips to Chloe’s forehead, kissing the scar there, and she maps her way from there, to each of her eyelids, to the tip of her nose, to each cheek, finally placing open-mouthed kisses on her neck and sucking at the pulsepoint directly under her jaw. She hears her girlfriend’s ragged breaths and darts her tongue out to taste the skin there. Chloe’s legs are still spread slightly, making it easy for Beca to place hers on either side of one, and she moves her left hand down to hitch the other leg up and around her waist again, providing some friction that, mixed with the lips on her neck, has Chloe whimpering and lightly scratching at the other girl’s back over her shirt. Beca continues her ministrations and rocks her hips gently, her thigh hitting Chloe in just the right spot, making her let out a somewhat strangled moan due to Beca’s assault on her neck. Beca needs to hear more. While she moves her lips to give attention to the other side of her neck, Beca rocks a little harder into Chloe, receiving a fuller moan that shoots straight to her core before both chilling and warming her entire body, and Chloe’s hands come up to Beca’s head, tangling in her hair.

“Make love to me, Beca.” It comes out as a breath, a prayer almost, and the invitation, the request, the  _ plea  _ makes Beca completely stop what she’s doing to bring her head up and look at Chloe. She takes in her heaving chest, her flushed neck and cheeks, her parted and swollen lips, her splayed hair, and finally her eyes that have nothing in them but the desire and love that she knows are reflected in her own. At this point, it’s not like she wasn’t expecting to get there tonight, but the verbalization of it makes it all very real and the tightening in her stomach and in her chest and in her throat is almost too much. This is her best friend. This is her best friend of thirteen  _ long _ years turning into her lover, and she could cry at the beauty of what’s happening.

Beca brings her hand up from Chloe’s leg and runs the back of her knuckles over her cheek, watching Chloe turn her head slightly to kiss it. She continues until she reaches the bottom of Chloe’s neck, now turning her hand over, palm down, and running her fingertips over the dip in her button-up where a few buttons were left open and down her stomach over the fabric covering it, finally stopping at the hem of the shirt. Chloe sees her falter and swallow hard, and she knows that Beca wants to undress her but the nerves are getting the best of her. They’ve never done anything like this, together nor with other people, and she understands that she needs to lead Beca in this step, that Beca wants her to, that she needs to know whatever she does is okay. 

Chloe thinks this part of it would be easier if their positions were switched, so she grabs Beca’s hand with her own, gently sitting up and placing a kiss to her palm. She wordlessly turns them, and Beca lies down, understanding what Chloe’s doing, and rests her head on the pillow. Chloe straddles Beca and places the hand she’s still holding back on her shirt at the top button.

“We’ll figure it out together, okay? No pressure. Just us,” Chloe whispers and smiles at her, and all Beca can do is nod because she is so grateful that it’s Chloe - the most understanding, loving, and patient human being in the world - that she gets to do this and go through this with. She couldn’t imagine it any other way, nor would she want to. She would never love anyone else this much and she knows that she would never be loved by anyone else this much. 

Beca brings her other hand up to assist herself. She slowly unbuttons the shirt, eyes flickering between the skin that’s steadily being exposed before her and the eyes that haven’t left her face. When she reaches the final button, her eyes stay on Chloe’s as she undoes it and then flick back to her body when she’s done. All that’s visible is a column of lightly sunkissed skin straight down the middle that’s broken up by a simple black bra. Beca places her hands underneath the material on Chloe’s shoulders and pushes the shirt back and completely off, watching as Chloe slips her arms from it once it’s puddled behind her and tosses it to the floor beside the bed.

Beca runs her hands down Chloe’s arms, and they come to rest at her hips. Her eyes roam the torso above her, and she brings her left hand up to tentatively brush her fingertips over Chloe’s ribcage. Chloe exhales a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding and sinks down further into Beca’s lap at the touch, the added weight and pressure against her making Beca bite her lip to hold back a moan. She trails a gentle hand over the expanse of her torso, fingertips brushing every inch of skin, and she smiles when she sees and feels the taut abdomen twitch under her touch, Chloe’s eyes fluttering shut. Beca has always had a knack for attention to detail, figuring out what Chloe likes and what makes her react positively without having to be told, and Chloe’s finding out that the bedroom is certainly no exception to that rule. The tender caresses are too much and not enough for Chloe. They send small shockwaves through her body, straight to her core, and they leave her aching. 

Beca moves her hand to right below Chloe’s breast and she pauses, needing Chloe to look at her. Chloe senses it and opens her eyes to meet Beca’s, smiling reassuringly at her.

“Is this okay?” Beca asks. Chloe can’t help but think the question is a little funny considering the position they’re in, but when she sees the concern on Beca’s features, the humor dissipates. Beca likes to pretend that she’s a badass charmer with a tough exterior to match her interior and someone who doesn’t care what anyone thinks, but Chloe knows she is the complete opposite, with a few minor exceptions. Beca is by far the most courageous, most charming, most protective, most independent, most easy going person she’s ever known but she’s also the sweetest, gentlest, most thoughtful, most selfless, most sensitive person she’s ever known. Chloe is shirtless and straddling her waist and trying her hardest not to  _ beg _ her to touch her, and Beca still wants to know if it’s okay, if she’s okay. If it wasn’t so sweet and so  _ Beca  _ she would have laughed.

Instead, she covers the hand that’s under her breast with her own and moves it so that it’s to the side, over her bra, leading Beca but giving her the free reign she wants. She removes her hand from Beca’s and settles it at her waist, stroking the exposed skin between her shirt and sweatpants with her thumb. Beca keeps watching Chloe’s face as she moves her hand to cup her breast, and she gives it a small squeeze. She loves how Chloe’s face transforms, eyebrows drawing together slightly and lips parting before taking her bottom lip in between her teeth to bite back a moan. 

“You don’t have to hold back. I don’t want you to. Let me know,” Beca whispers, voice lower than usual, as she brings her other hand up to stroke her thumb across her lips. She adds more pressure, massaging Chloe’s breast harder, and Chloe can’t help the small moan that escapes at Beca’s encouragement and touch. Her hands fist Beca’s shirt before pushing it up slightly to place her palms on her abs. Chloe’s hands are warm on her stomach, and Beca rises up slightly, needing more of that warmth. Chloe takes the hint and tugs the shirt off of Beca, tossing it on the floor with hers, and Beca lies back down. Chloe’s eyes are immediately overwhelmed with beautiful, milky skin, and her fingers reach out to brush over her collarbone and move to the swell of her breast just above where her purple bra covers the rest, needing to touch her, feel her skin, feel her. Her eyes flicker to Beca’s and then back again as she moves her hand to the side of her breast, cupping and squeezing, just as Beca had done to her. She’s rewarded with a moan and a slight arch of her back, and with Beca not being the more vocal one, Chloe could die at how beautiful the reaction is. 

Beca rises up gently, bringing her arms around Chloe to hold her in place, and once she’s in a sitting position, she moves her hands to the buckle of Chloe’s bra. Chloe’s hands do the same around Beca, and they unbuckle the garments together, chuckling lightly when there’s some difficulty. With both unbuckled, they take turns sliding them down each other’s arms, Chloe’s coming off first. Once it’s completely removed and thrown to the side, Beca unabashedly takes in the sight, and Chloe blushes and moves Beca’s straps down her arms, needing to see her, too. 

Once they’re both completely topless, Beca brings her head forward, and her eyes flutter closed, placing open-mouthed kisses to her shoulder and neck and collarbone and trailing a path to the swell of her breast. Chloe’s hands tangle in her hair, holding her close, and one of Beca’s cups Chloe’s cheek. Chloe covers it with her own, holding it there and kissing the inside of her wrist, and she swears she can feel Beca’s pulse against her lips. Beca moves her mouth to kiss the same spot on the other breast and circles her arms around Chloe tightly, holding her flush against her. Bringing her head back up and laying it on Chloe’s shoulder, she hugs her in a strong embrace and presses her lips to her neck, eyes never opening, taking in the moment. Chloe sighs, wrapping her arms around Beca’s neck and resting her lips at her temple.

The intimacy of the situation and position and the tenderness and care with which Beca is loving her make tears well up in Chloe’s eyes, and they’re rolling down her cheeks before she can stop them. Beca feels the change and pulls back, looking up to see bright eyes and wet cheeks. She’s not startled, though. She’s the opposite. She knows exactly what emotions are coursing through Chloe’s head and heart, and seeing them play out on her girlfriend’s face makes her chest ache in the best way. With tears springing to her own eyes, Beca holds Chloe’s face in her hands and wipes the wetness away with the pads of her thumbs before leaning in to press their lips together in a sweet, gentle kiss that makes Chloe want to cry even more. 

“I love you, sweetheart. I want to make love to you. And I want you to feel how much you make me feel,” she mumbles against Chloe’s lips, each sentence punctuated by a kiss, and Chloe whimpers against her mouth because Beca is saying things and saying things like that to her and it jumps inside of her to swim with every other action from tonight in the pool that’s forming between her legs. If someone had told her a year ago that she would make love to her very best friend, she would have laughed in his/her face, but now she can’t imagine doing anything else. 

Beca carefully turns them around and lays Chloe back down onto the bed, fitting her left leg snugly between Chloe’s while the other is placed on the outside. The hand that isn’t on Chloe’s neck travels down to her hip, and she pulls away from her lips, immediately placing a kiss to her jaw and moving to her breast. 

She brings her eyes up to look at Chloe and sees her face flushed, eyes still closed, and lips parted. She wants to see her reaction, so she keeps watching as she circles her tongue around Chloe’s nipple before flicking it over the rising bud and finally capturing it in her warm mouth, making sensitive nerve endings jolt. The response she gets is instantaneous, Chloe’s mouth falling open with a moan and back arching that causes some very pleasurable pressing between their legs, and it all makes Beca moan around her, sending electric vibrations through Chloe’s body. She sucks on the bud and moves her hand to massage the other breast, rolling her thumb over the nipple while one of Chloe’s hands comes to the back of her head and the other fists the sheets. She smiles when she hears Chloe whimper and take shallow and ragged breaths, and she moves her mouth to the other breast, repeating her actions. She presses her thigh harder than she has yet into Chloe’s center, making her hips buck involuntarily, and Beca needs the rest of their clothes off now. 

Chloe needs it, too, and she moves her hands down Beca’s sides until they’re at the waistband of her sweats. She slips her fingers beneath the material on her hips, and Beca raises up some to let her take them off. Beca cooperates with the process, sliding one leg out and then the other until they’re completely removed while still trying to keep her lips on Chloe’s skin anywhere she can. Beca shivers and involuntarily bites her shoulder when Chloe’s fingers brush the skin high on the back of her thigh.

“I didn’t have you pegged as a biter,” Chloe chuckles softly against her head before it turns into a low moan when Beca nips at the skin on her neck. Sitting up, Beca surprises herself when she forms a coherent sentence.

“I guess there’s a lot you don’t know about me then.” Chloe licks her lips as Beca’s hands travel to her yoga pants, and she looks in Beca’s eyes. 

“Not about this side of you. Not yet.” And Beca knows she’s telling her to show her what she doesn’t know.

She starts to slide Chloe’s pants down, moving down the bed as she does so, eyes drinking in every inch of flawless flesh. Once removed, she discards them to the side and crawls back up Chloe’s body, hands trailing over her thighs, her stomach, her arms, and she presses their lips together when she moves one hand to Chloe’s underwear, pausing in a silent question.

Chloe raises her hips in answer and allows Beca to slip the garment from her body, cheeks immediately flushing more than they already were when the gravity of it hits her. Beca removes them completely, and her head spins at the sight before her. Chloe resists the urge to push her legs together and instead looks at Beca looking at her, and she can almost physically see her taking time to memorize her and her body and this moment, chiseling it into her mind. Chloe feels naked and exposed in more ways than one under her intense gaze, and she squirms, looking away from the affection and reverence she sees in it. 

“Beautiful…” Beca murmurs more to herself than anything, and she looks at Chloe’s face then, seeing her turned away, blushing. She brings her hand up to gently direct Chloe’s face back to look at her.

“You’re beautiful.” Beca says it firmly, like it’s the most important thing to her. When other people tell her that, it isn’t like when Beca does, and it certainly isn’t like that. Her throat closes and breath eludes her and Beca’s eyes and face have pure love written all over them and she doesn’t just tell her but she makes her  _ believe  _ it and Chloe could cry at how lucky she is and at how undeserving she is of it, of Beca, of her best friend loving her this way.

Beca starts to remove her own underwear just because she doesn’t want Chloe to feel alone in this, and when she’s discarded them, she looks back up to see Chloe biting her lip. She smiles at her and again crawls on top of her, settling in the same position they’ve been in. She runs the back of her knuckles over Chloe’s cheek and leans down to kiss her. The kiss starts slow but heats up quickly as their thighs come into contact with each other’s centers and they press together. Beca moves her lips to Chloe’s neck, sucking her pulsepoint briefly, then down her chest to her breasts, listening as Chloe’s breathing changes. She sucks on one nipple, then the other, and Chloe’s hips buck into hers. She moans at the contact and moves her lips further down, kissing, nipping, licking her way from Chloe’s ribcage, across her stomach, to her other ribcage, and down to her navel, smiling against the small twitches beneath her mouth.

Her mouth back to alternating between Chloe’s breasts, she trails her hand up the inside of her thigh, softly, lazily almost, and Chloe grips the bedsheets, anticipating what’s going to happen. Beca moves back up Chloe’s body, keeping her hand on the inside of her thigh, and her lips find Chloe’s before she presses their foreheads together. They take in each other’s air as Beca’s hand inches closer and closer to where Chloe needs her.

“Touch me, Beca.” And that’s all Beca needs. She moves her hand and runs her fingers over Chloe’s sex, sucking in a sharp breath when she feels her heat, her wetness, and the tension in Chloe’s stomach tightens tenfold. Her mouth opens in an inaudible moan, and her back arches at the small touch.

“Chloe…” Beca breathes out, eyebrows drawing together and lips parting in a small ‘o’, and Chloe knows why, knows what that’s for.

“All you, baby. It’s all you,” Chloe husks, and Beca moans lowly at those words, moans at knowing what she does to her girlfriend. She moves her fingers all over Chloe’s sex, spreading her wetness, her own pool growing at the feeling of her on her fingers. She presses a thumb tenderly to Chloe’s sensitive nub and a small smile forms on her lips when Chloe cries out, her hand shooting to hers, keeping it there.

Beca moves down her body, placing her lips right below her navel and kissing a path all the way down. When her face is right in front of Chloe’s heat, Chloe is almost shaking with anticipation, and she moves her hand to touch Beca’s head, urging her to continue. Beca’s eyes flicker up to see Chloe watching her, and something about the sight just turns Beca on more. She tentatively, slowly, gently flicks her tongue out to taste her, stroking her folds, and watches for a reaction. Chloe throws her head back, moaning softly, body arching. Her taste is the perfect combination of salty and sweet, and Beca wants more. She looks at what she’s doing now and runs her tongue up her folds, flicking at her nub before capturing it in her warm mouth. Chloe’s hips surge upward of their own accord, forcing Beca closer to her, and an undulated moan rips from her throat. She’s gasping for air, and Beca listens to her sounds come more frequently as she sucks.

“Oh, my…” Chloe moans out as one of Beca’s hands comes to massage her breasts, tweaking her nipples.

“Is this good?” Beca’s words vibrate against her and send shockwaves crashing through her. 

“God, yes, baby,” Chloe whimpers, and it spurs Beca on, making her suck harder and lick faster.

Chloe lets a curse word fly - a very  _ dirty  _ curse word - and Beca falters for a second before continuing, eyes shooting up to look at her face again. She  _ never  _ hears Chloe swear, and the sound of it being rasped out of Chloe’s mouth like that sends a whole new wave of warmth to her core, making her squirm. She loves that she can do that to Chloe, that she can make this woman who is so reserved and private and classy lose control and fall apart beneath her and make such heavenly sounds.

She moans against Chloe, and then there’s  _ that  _ sound, the one that Chloe’s just made, the one that has her lover’s name riding on it, and Beca’s sure she’s died. Beca moans again at hearing her own name fall so erotically from her girlfriend’s lips, and she thinks she might explode.

She pushes her center down onto Chloe’s leg and moans again before moving back up Chloe’s body and replacing her mouth with her fingers, lips at Chloe’s ear. She slips one finger into Chloe and watches her jerk, staying still for a few seconds.

“Are you okay?” Chloe whimpers at the concern in her voice and the dull throb between her legs and the pleasure that’s quickly overtaking her again. She nods her head, biting her lip and moving her hand to Beca’s forearm, silently urging her on. Beca proceeds to move her finger in and out of Chloe, the pressure between her own legs aching to be released. 

“Chloe, I…” But the words aren’t needed. Chloe knows. She moves her hand to Beca’s center, running her fingers up and over her folds, much like Beca had done to her, and Beca lets out a low moan at the contact.

“Shit, Chloe.” Her head falls to Chloe’s shoulder as fingers enter her, and her own fingers pick up their pace. They set a rhythm with each other, inserting more fingers together and rocking their hips against one another, pace and pressure growing exponentially. Beca swears that in this moment, they’ve created their own language with the way their bodies react to each other.

Chloe sits up and attaches her lips to Beca’s neck, her collarbone, her breasts, licking and sucking and nipping in just the right spots, and Beca’s head starts to spin, dropping back to Chloe’s shoulder. Beca thrusts harder into her, pressing her thumb to her nub and moving it in circles with Chloe doing the same, and soon their rhythm is falling out and the coiling in their stomachs is getting too tight.

“Baby, I think I’m… I’m gonna…” Chloe can barely get anything that isn’t a moan or a whimper out, the sounds coming louder and more frequently. Beca presses harder into her, making Chloe do the same to her.

“Are you close?” Beca brings up the hand that isn’t pleasuring Chloe to gently stroke her cheek and move sweaty hair out of her face. Chloe marvels at how she can be so deliciously rough with one hand and so tender with the other, and it pushes her even closer.

“Yes, baby, oh, my God, I’m so close, please don’t stop.” The plea comes out as a moan that makes a beeline for Beca’s core, and she responds with one of her own before gently pushing Chloe back down and hovering on top of her, attaching her lips to the spot below her ear. She thrusts faster and rubs harder, and Chloe’s hips buck to meet every thrust while her own fingers move roughly inside of Beca, losing rhythm and sending jolts and tremors through Beca’s body as she starts unraveling beneath her. Beca rocks her hips against Chloe’s fingers, trying to gain as much friction as she can as her own release builds quickly inside of her, powerful and white-hot. She sucks in a sharp breath before exhaling shakily when she feels Chloe’s fingers hit a particularly spine-tingling spot inside of her, and she involuntarily bites Chloe’s neck at the sensation, softly enough so as not to hurt her but hard enough to make Chloe’s back arch, her thigh hitting Beca’s center in the most pleasurable of ways.

“Chloe…” Beca breathes it out in a whimper against her skin, and Chloe has never heard anything more beautiful roll off of someone’s lips before, the eroticism of it pushing her that much closer. She could cry at the meaning of it, at knowing that she’s doing this to her, at the beauty of making her feel that good because that is all she has ever wanted. Both have always wanted each other to know, to be able to show one another how they make the other feel - Beca always making Chloe feel safe, secure, loved and Chloe always making Beca feel alive, grounded, light. There is no better way to show it than by bringing each other to this epitome of their love for one another, each wanting nothing more than to selflessly pleasure and satisfy the other with this physical and emotional peak.

Chloe reaches for Beca’s hand that’s gripping the sheet, entwining their fingers and bringing the back of Beca’s hand to her lips. She places a soft kiss to the skin over her knuckles, and Beca’s head lifts up to connect her eyes with Chloe’s.

“Let go for me, Chloe,” Beca whispers lowly, raspily. Chloe’s mouth forms a small ‘o’ at the soft command, and Beca pushes her hand in harder, curling her finger slightly, hitting the right spot and watching as the girl beneath her comes undone. An uninhibited moan that could almost be a scream rips from Chloe’s throat, and Beca helps her ride out her climax, the sight of Chloe’s convulsing body every time she touches her and the sounds of her name mixed with soft curses and whimpers too beautiful and too much for her to bear. Beca’s own release hits her harshly at the sight of her best friend, her lover, of what she’s done to her, and her walls clench around Chloe’s fingers, her own body trembling at the touches and caresses she’s receiving, murmuring the only name that means anything to her at this point against the owner’s salty skin. After her high, Beca presses her forehead to Chloe’s, both sets of eyes closed and lips taking in each other’s air.

“I love you. Oh, my God, I love you,” Beca breathlessly whispers, stroking her hands up Chloe’s abdomen to rest at her neck as Chloe’s hands run lazily up and down her back. Chloe opens her eyes, a brighter blue than usual with tears that threaten to spill because of the beauty of what they’ve just experienced together.

“I love you, Beca. So much.” Beca opens her eyes, and Chloe sees that they match hers. They smile softly at each other before Beca dips down, placing a kiss to her collarbone, and she moves to lie on her stomach next to Chloe, bodies still touching. Beca reaches for the hand that’s now lying at Chloe’s side, and she softly traces over the lines in her palm before entwining their fingers and stroking her thumb over every inch of skin it can come in contact with. Chloe sighs contentedly and turns her head to face Beca, watching her watch their hands.

“That was way better than I ever imagined it to be… And I have a really good imagination,” Chloe says, smiling at her girlfriend. Beca looks up at her, trademark smirk in place, albeit a bit softer around the edges, and Chloe really doesn’t think her heart can handle that right now.

“You’ve imagined it before?” She’s teasing her, and Chloe looks at her with a ‘seriously?’ expression before smiling again.

“Several times, and don’t try to act like you haven’t because the way you were touching me and kissing me does nothing to support that.” Beca’s smirk turns into a goofy grin, and she leans forward to kiss the side of her arm. She looks back up at Chloe with the same soft expression that Chloe is very familiar with now on her face.

“You were so wonderful. Perfect. Beautiful.” Gosh, doesn’t she know that Chloe is overly sensitive right now and the smallest things are going to make her cry? Maybe that’s why she isn’t surprised when she sees more tears well up in her eyes, and she wraps her arms around Chloe, pulling her to her chest and resting her head above where Chloe’s nuzzles her neck, breathing in the scent of the brunette. Chloe tells her that she’s everything she doesn’t deserve, and Beca tells her that she doesn’t give herself enough credit before calling her a weirdo.

* * *

 

The first thing Beca notices when she wakes up is that her body aches deliciously. The second thing she notices is Chloe’s sky-blue eyes on her face, memorizing her features and lightly tracing over them with her fingertips, moving from her hairline, to her eyebrows, to her cheekbones, to her jawline. The third thing she notices is when Chloe smiles lazily, happily, at her and touches the tip of her nose with her fingertip before smiling bigger and giggling a little, she doesn’t want to wake up any other way ever again.

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

Chloe doesn’t understand how Beca just  _ knows  _ what to do to perfectly tug at her heart or how Beca is completely unaware that she’s even doing it. She’s just being herself - her crazy, wonderful, perfect self - and it sickens Chloe, really, how she can just so effortlessly make her fall harder everyday.

It’s little things. Like how gently she plays with Chloe’s fingers when they’re lying in bed together, about to drift off. How she buys Chloe’s favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor and candy bar when she knows she’s had a rough day. How she makes sure to keep a fresh bouquet of flowers in Chloe’s apartment because she knows just how much she loves the cliche gesture. Chloe would never admit that she does, though.

Like how she kind of watches Chloe read while they lie in bed because she knows she picks the most emotionally wide-ranging books, and she likes to see the different expressions cross her face. How she knows by the way Chloe turns the pages what she’s feeling and how she notices when Chloe gets a little upset at some parts. How she then wordlessly moves down the bed to wrap her arms around her girlfriend’s hips, and she lays her head on her stomach and rubs slow circles with her thumbs on any skin she finds, not interrupting her reading but providing the comfort she knows Chloe needs. Chloe can’t help how one hand always gravitates to the head resting on her stomach, softly raking through brown locks. 

Like how she leaves random sticky notes around Chloe’s apartment for her to find as she goes about the day, more often than not having written frivolous snippets (“You’re cool maybe I guess I don’t know”) or unusual facts that she has no doubt researched in an attempt to entertain her girlfriend (which Chloe will never admits works but Beca knows it does). How sometimes it’s song lyrics that make no sense or make too much sense, sometimes it’s a quick little doodle, and sometimes it’s an “I love you” scrawled so microscopically on the edge of the sticky that she has to squint to see it. How there was a note on the back of the first small “I love you” that said “I wrote it like that because it’s totally opposite of how much I actually love you lol have a great day weirdo.” Chloe may or may not have a box that she keeps every one that she’s found in.

Like how this morning, she has just woken Chloe up with the smells of sizzling bacon and brewing coffee and the sound of Ella Fitzgerald sweetly serenading the apartment. Chloe knows it would be impossible to love someone more than she loves Beca Mitchell. 

She yawns and stretches her limbs before crawling out of the bed, lazy smile happily in place under hooded eyelids. Walking out of her room and towards the kitchen, her eyes take in the fresh orange juice and sliced fruit on the table and Beca standing with her back to her in front of the stovetop in the t-shirt and boxer shorts she slept in. She sips from a coffee mug and prods the bacon gingerly with a fork as it sizzles in the skillet. Thinking how wonderfully endearing the sight is and how badly she wants to see it every morning has Chloe’s heart in her throat.

When she gets closer, she can hear Beca softly singing “The Very Thought of You” along with Ella in perfect harmony, quietly showcasing one of her hidden talents. Not wanting to startle her, Chloe joins in softly for a few seconds, letting her know she’s there, and she wraps her arms around Beca’s middle, placing a kiss to the back of her neck before resting her chin on her shoulder. Beca stops singing and smiles down at the eggs that are in another skillet like they’ve just given her the biggest compliment.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” she says, her voice still a little raspy from sleep despite her singing (doing nothing to help the state Chloe’s heart is in), and she sets her mug down and gently grabs one of the hands that’s on her stomach before bringing it to her lips and kissing the knuckles. Chloe hums into her neck, and Beca places the hand back where it was, covering it with her own and interlocking their fingers.

“G’morning,” Chloe replies as she places her lips on the juncture of Beca’s neck and shoulder and moves them up, trailing open-mouthed kisses to just below her ear. Beca lets out a small moan and squeezes her hand slightly.

“Babe, you’re going to make me burn the bacon,” are her words, but with the way she tilts her neck, she doesn’t really seem to care that much.

“Oh, no, okay.” Chloe immediately stops, removing her lips and placing her chin back on her shoulder. Beca laughs and continues poking at the bacon. Chloe watches and adds, “You’ve gotta stop doing this stuff.”

“Doing what? Making sure you have food in your belly? I know how you forget to eat,” Beca chuckles as she leans back into her girlfriend, replacing the fork with a wooden spoon before scrambling the eggs more.

“See. You’re doing it again,” she almost whines into Beca’s shoulder, sighing as she squeezes her tighter. Beca laughs and turns the stovetop off and the IPod speakers down to background noise before spinning in Chloe’s arms to face her, hands coming to rest at Chloe’s biceps.

“Doing what, baby?” She smiles at Chloe, and it’s that smile that only Chloe gets to see, and it just proves her point further. Chloe scrunches up her nose in an attempt to look disgusted, but Beca just thinks it looks adorable.

“Being so perfect. You’re like super-girlfriend. I mean, you’ve always been this way, but it’s like you can’t do anything that doesn’t make me happy now. It’s disgusting, I hate it.” She tries her best to look like she means what she’s said, she really does, but Beca keeps smiling at her in that sickeningly sweet way and stroking her thumbs over her arms, and Chloe hates her for it because she just makes it so  _ easy  _ to be in love with her.

“Do you? Do you really hate it?” Beca teases. Chloe narrows her eyes at her and purses her lips.

“Yes…?” She draws the word out like she’s trying to convince herself it’s true. Beca’s smirk turns into a grin, and she shrugs her shoulders before pulling out of Chloe’s arms and moving to the waffle iron.

“Okay! Thank God because I was really getting tired of doing all this crap for you.” But she shoots Chloe a wry smile that lets her know she doesn’t mean a word of that. Chloe smirks and moves closer as she watches Beca pull the fluffy waffle from the machine and add more batter to make a second.

“I mean, you don’t have to stop.” She leans against the counter and rests her head on her fist, looking up at Beca. Beca smiles and shakes her head a little as she places the waffle on a plate and moves to the stovetop to finish preparing Chloe’s breakfast, scooping up some eggs and crumbling the crispy bacon over them, just the way the redhead likes it. 

“Don’t stop being you, Beale, and we shouldn’t have a problem.” She carries the plate to the table and sets it down at Chloe’s seat before pouring her some orange juice. Gesturing for Chloe to sit down, she moves to start her own plate, saying, “Your waffle is chocolate chip, savor it!”

Chloe goes to sit down and thinks she could almost cry at the care Beca is showing her in her own little way right now, and honestly how did she never realize how much she wanted this with her? Things like this aren’t necessarily new, Beca has always put Chloe before herself and let her know how much she cares and how much she pays attention, but ever since they became a couple, Chloe has been able to  _ feel  _ the tangibility of the pure love behind every action, and it makes her heart stop and speed up at the same time and makes her wonder how one person can make her feel so much.

“You and your stupid Beca Mitchell charm,” is all she can manage to say as she waits for Beca to sit down with her, and she swears, Beca  _ struts  _ to the table.

“My ‘stupid Beca Mitchell charm’,” she repeats slowly as she sits, testing it on her tongue. “That one’s new, I like it, good job, babe.”

Then she winks. She  _ winks _ , and Chloe knows what she’s doing. Chloe knows that Beca knows what that stupid wink does to her and she tries so hard not to let it get to her but she can’t help it because it’s Beca and she’s so weak for her that it really isn’t funny anymore.

“Are you… Do you… It’s effortless, I’m so…The charm is…  Like do you see yourself, do you ever, like, just look at yourself? Do you see it in you? I’m honestly curious, do you accidentally charm yourself sometimes?” She stutters out, and she hates herself for not being able to keep up, for letting her win.

“No, I don’t need to when I can see it all over your face,” she casually replies as she pours her own orange juice.

“Get out. Get out of my apartment.” Beca laughs over her waffle then as Chloe tries her hardest to keep a stern look on her face, and every time the brunette looks at her girlfriend, a whole new wave of laughter rises inside of her. Chloe eventually breaks down and laughs quietly with her.

“Whatever, dude, this is basically my apartment, too,” Beca says between chuckles, and Chloe wishes she could help the way her stomach flutters at those words and at how she wants them to be true. 

When she finally calms down, Beca looks back up at Chloe who has just started to eat, and she reaches across the table and pokes her nose, making the redhead look at her. Chloe sticks her tongue out, showing Beca her food, and Beca pretends to gag, chuckling again. 

Her eyes sweep over her girlfriend, taking in her slightly disheveled bedhead and the way her tank top dips just low enough and how she still has an adorably sleepy look on her face, and Beca’s heart kind of jumps. Years of seeing her this way has done nothing to dull the sensation of the privilege it is to be allowed to experience this Chloe. 

“You look really pretty,” she exhales after a laugh, and Chloe makes eye contact with her over the rim of her glass, saying all she needs to with her eyes and the slow smile that forms. Beca loves how familiar and comfortable the whole situation is, and after a few more minutes of eating in companionable silence, she clears her throat and pokes at her unfinished eggs.

“I guess it’s just now that I’m finally able to do all the things I’ve wanted to do with you, for you, for so long, I like to take full advantage of them,” she starts, and Chloe looks up at the change in tone. “Sure, I did stuff before, but now I get to do everything I’ve wanted to do, and it’s a little different because I actually get to do as much as I want without it being weird. I couldn’t do that before, and now that I can, it’s like discovering new music over and over again. I never get tired of it… I want to be the best that I can be for you, you know? You make me want to be the best that I can be.” 

She says it all to her breakfast plate before taking a sip of orange juice, and Chloe isn’t used to Beca sharing things that aren’t sarcastic or witty one-liners, so she kind of doesn’t know what to say. But then Beca looks up at her and sees all she needs to (just like she said) on Chloe’s face and smiles that same soft smile at her, and Chloe just stares for a second.

“I do not deserve you, Beca Mitchell,” she sighs.

“No. You don’t,” Beca says quietly, and Chloe sees on her face that she means she deserves more than her. Chloe shakes her head at her slightly, and Beca keeps smiling softly as she stands and grabs their plates, leaning down to kiss Chloe’s temple. She mumbles “I am the luckiest person” against her head and kisses the same spot again before taking their dishes to the sink.

As Beca is about to begin washing the dishes, she catches the opening to one of her favorite songs (unwillingly admitted to Chloe) and hurriedly turns her IPod speakers up with the remote on the counter. She grabs the wooden spoon she had been using to scramble eggs and quickly spins to face Chloe, pointing at her and singing into the spoon as “Classic” by MKTO blasts through the speakers.

“Ooh, girl you’re shining

Like a fifth avenue diamond.

And they don’t make you like they used to.

You’re never going out of style.”

Used to Beca’s spontaneous singing and dancing sessions, Chloe grins at her and good-naturedly rolls her eyes before turning in her seat to properly watch the show she’s being given, mouthing “You’re an idiot.”

“Ooh, pretty baby,

This world might’ve gone crazy.

The way you save me,

Who can blame me

When I just want to make you smile?”

Beca winks at her as she sings the last line, and Chloe does her best “Who, me?” impression before chuckling when Beca dances over to her and grabs her hand, pulling her up and twirling her.

“I wanna thrill you like Michael.” She moonwalks (kind of), still holding onto Chloe.

“I wanna kiss you like Prince.” She kisses her hand.

“Let’s get it on like Marvin Gaye. Like Hathaway, write a song for you like this.” She waggles her eyebrows before twirling Chloe again when the chorus hits, and they dance and sing together as it plays. Beca points at the flowers on the kitchen counter with the spoon when the next verse starts.

“Four dozen roses,

Anything for you to notice. 

All the way to serenade you,

Doing it Sinatra style.” 

They continue dancing with each other as more of the song plays, but when Beca stops moving for a split second and looks Chloe in the eye as she sings “I could walk you down the aisle” before grinning and dancing again, Chloe is pretty sure she has a mini stroke. It’s okay, though, because Beca is spinning her into her arms now, and whatever short circuit happened in her brain is fixed (or worsened, whatever).

They dance through the entirety of the song, and as it’s coming to a close, Beca pulls Chloe into her and kisses her forehead, slightly out of breath, before moving to connect their lips in a short, sweet kiss. Chloe scrunches her nose up at her with a soft smile when she pulls away, and Beca laughs before dipping down, raising Chloe’s tank top up some, and blowing a raspberry on her stomach (something that seems to be one of her favorite things to do lately). Chloe throws her head back and laughs, and Beca comes back up to kiss her cheek before moving to the sink to wash the dishes, Chloe right behind her to help dry them off, still laughing.

She tries to shove down the butterflies that flutter all the way to her throat when she glances at the IPod and notices that the songs that have been playing all morning are under a playlist entitled “Chlo” but that’s kind of impossible to do when the next song that plays is “Marry Me” and Beca is singing along to it.

* * *

 

It’s Saturday, and Gail has given them the weekend off, so after their breakfast (“I mean, it was kind of decent, Becs.” “Don’t even, you know you love my cooking.”), they brush their teeth, put on their best ‘stay-at-home’ wear, and decide to just lounge around all day.

Chloe is relaxing on the couch now, and Beca is sitting between her legs on the floor, slouching against the couch and massaging Chloe’s feet and calves as she tries to make sense of  _ The Real Housewives of Orange County _ .

“Why are you doing this to me?” Beca asks, face screwed up in a disgusted look while she watches some stupid white girls fight over some stupid drama that shouldn’t even be drama in the first place. “They’re all so petty.”

“This is America. You’re getting a first-class education in our culture right now,” Chloe explains with eyes glued to the screen, trying hard not to focus solely on what Beca’s hands are doing to her legs as her own fingers absentmindedly twirl the long brown locks in front of her. Beca scoffs and leans her head back so it’s resting on the edge of the couch, enjoying the distraction of Chloe’s fingers in her hair from the atrocious excuse of a show on the television and hands still doing impossibly good work. 

Chloe really can’t help closing her eyes and letting out a small moan when Beca kneads harder into her calf, and she  _ feels  _ Beca’s smirk in the air.

“I didn’t know my hands were  _ that  _ good,” She says as she moves from her right leg to work on the other calf muscle. 

“No, I know what you’re doing, you’re baiting me. You want me to say something that could potentially be dirty and I’m not going to do it. I won’t give in.” Chloe tugs a little harder on her hair to make a point. Beca chuckles and turns her head to place a kiss on the inside of her knee, smiling against her skin.

“Well, I mean, last night yo-”

“Beca Mitchell, so help me.”

“Oh, I’d be happy to help.” And Chloe really doesn’t know why she even tries to make Beca turn it off, especially when she doesn’t want her to. The girl drives her crazy in the best way possible, but if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right?

Chloe sits up from her slouching position and moves Beca’s hair off of the right side of her face before placing her lips on her temple. She kisses a slow path from there to her ear where she lingers a few seconds longer and nibbles gently on her earlobe, paying attention to how Beca’s breath hitches and how her hands stall on her legs. She moves her lips down her jawline and feels it clench beneath them, obviously having the desired effect on her girlfriend.

“Damn it, Beale.” Chloe smirks as she moves lower, and attaches her lips to the pulse point just below Beca’s jaw and sucks hard enough to finally draw out a moan but not hard enough to leave a mark, remembering how well both of them trying to explain the marks they each had to their crew went. Beca’s right hand comes up to the back of her head now, keeping her there, and Chloe barely registers the other hand that’s creeping up the inside of her thigh until it’s sneaking under her shorts.

“Bec.” It doesn’t sound like the warning it’s meant to be, so Beca keeps moving her hand higher and higher, brushing soft skin on the way until finally Chloe abruptly rises from the couch and moves to the kitchen to get some water. Beca laughs triumphantly at her little victory and Chloe doesn’t even need to look to know that stupid cocky grin is on her face.

When she’s finished the last of her water, she turns around and leans back against the counter, a little more than hot and bothered. She looks at Beca still sitting on the floor with that dumb grin, and Beca feels her gaze and turns her head to make eye contact with her. Her grin turns soft then, and Chloe’s tongue darts out to lick her suddenly dry lips, despite the water she’s just had. 

Beca’s eyes follow the action, and she stops smiling altogether. Chloe sees something shift on her face and in her eyes, and she knows what it is immediately. She knows the way Beca stands up from the floor, and she knows the way she takes long strides towards her, arms already reaching out. She knows the sudden desire, the need, behind her movements, behind her eyes. She knows Beca because Beca knows her.

Chloe knows the way Beca pins her against the counter and the way her arms wrap around her and hold her against herself and the way her eyes close and her lips press against her own, firm but moving in a way that screams to Chloe how much she loves her, how much she wants her, how much she needs her, how much she always has.

Chloe wraps her arms around Beca’s neck, fingers locking in chocolate tresses, and Beca presses even further into her, like it’s possible to make their bodies become one. Chloe moans at the contact and then moans again at the way Beca’s teeth tug gently on her bottom lip before she swiftly lifts Chloe up and sits her on the counter, settling between her legs. She immediately attaches her lips to Chloe’s neck and runs her hands under her tank, feeling her abdomen contract at the sudden contact. Chloe tilts her head, giving Beca more room to continue sucking on any skin her lips meet, and she moans again when wet lips latch on to her pulse, making her almost painfully aware of just how turned on she is and of how much she  _ needs  _ Beca.

“Oh, God, you always make me want you so badly,” she rasps out, voice a bit strangled, and Beca thinks it’s one of the sexiest, most beautiful things that’s ever come out of her girlfriend’s mouth. She’ll never get over knowing that she’s capable of doing that and of doing much more to her, and she loves how incredibly lucky she is to be the one that gets to. She loves Chloe, and she wants to make her feel good all the time. Not just when they make out or make love but every second of every day, even when she’s not with her. She needs Chloe to know how loved she is constantly because she feeds off of it.

She sucks harder and moves to the swell of her breasts that’s exposed right above her tank top, nipping softly and making  _ sure  _ to leave a mark there because no one will see it, but they’ll know it’s there. Beca can’t really explain the excitement she feels when she leaves things like that behind on her lover’s body, things done while worshipping that body. She hears Chloe whimper and her breath hitch, and she feels the grip in her hair tighten.

“Bedroom. Now. Please.” 

Beca wordlessly picks her back up and settles her around her waist, carrying her to the bedroom much like she did on their first night together a few months back, and as they move against each other, for each other, with each other so perfectly and beautifully, the bond they’ve always shared is clearly manifested in this physical act of each selflessly loving the other.

* * *

 

Beca kisses up the inside of Chloe’s thighs, moving her lips up her stomach and chest and neck as she listens to her small whimpers and helps her come down from her high.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing the things that come out of your mouth,” she mumbles against Chloe’s neck before placing a kiss on her cheek and lying on her back next to her, hand immediately finding hers and giving it a squeeze. 

“If you haven’t gotten tired of them yet, I don’t think you will, either, since you’ve been hearing them  _ a lot _ ,” Chloe smirks, turning her head to look at Beca. Beca hums and presses her lips to her shoulder, and Chloe presses her own to Beca’s forehead. 

Chloe turns over on her stomach then, and Beca can’t help the way her body kind of propels forward, and she places slow, open-mouthed kisses on Chloe’s back, moving from one shoulder blade to the other and down to the small of her back. 

“You’re killing me,” Chloe breathes out, and she feels Beca’s chuckle against her skin.

“I could say the same to you.” She moves away to lie back down on her side, facing Chloe, and she reaches for Chloe’s hand again, drawing random patterns on her palm with her fingertips. Chloe keeps looking at Beca and at the happy smile on her face, tracing a finger over it. 

It’s like this every time - tender touches, slow caresses until they fall asleep together - and Chloe doesn’t remember how she ever managed to get by without this. She doesn’t remember how she stayed still with her hands by her side whenever they spent the night together. She doesn’t remember how she kept moving day after day for years under the crushing pain of wanting her best friend so badly and of never allowing herself to admit it. She would force herself to think that Beca could never want her back, but if she’s being honest, she always knew that that wasn’t true and that she was just too scared of what that knowledge meant. They both have always known that simple “friendship” was never the word that really described what they had.

And here she is now, lying in her bed with her best friend-turned-lover, watching her eyes get heavier and feeling the patterns being drawn on her hand get slower by the minute.

“Bec?” she asks quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace surrounding them.

“Red?” Beca responds, eyes closing momentarily.

“I’m ready to tell now. I’m ready to let people know.” Beca looks at her again then, eyes wider than they should be for someone so tired.

“You’re ready to tell people about us?” Chloe nods, smiling at her softly. “Okay, thank God, because it was getting really hard to remember not to hold your hand or kiss your cheek whenever we would go out.”

“I know, I think I’m actually dying to be able to take you as my date to award shows,” Chloe agrees, and Beca laughs because they’ve basically always gone as each other’s date but now it’s, like, official or something. 

It’s not like they didn’t ever want people to know. They just knew all that would come with it - the questions, the teasing, the articles trying to stir up drama - and they just wanted time to be able to focus their attention solely on the other and their new relationship (which, let’s be honest, was really not all that new) and to have a period of preparation before the onslaught. But, it’s been nearly seven months now, and it’s getting harder to keep up the whole “We’re just friends, guys” charade. Not that people really believe it, anyway.

“We’re booked for Ellen in two weeks. Do you want to do like a mass reveal then, or do you want take it slower? Maybe tell a few people here and there, and let it work its way out?” Beca asks, brows furrowed, and Chloe laughs at how serious she looks.

“You’re so methodical,” she says, smiling and running her hand down Beca’s arm before interlocking their fingers. “I like the Ellen idea, it’s dramatic. And what better show to mass reveal something like this on?”

“Alright, Red, you got it.” Beca smiles before leaning in to give Chloe a sweet kiss. “You wanna know something?”

“Mmhmm,” Chloe hums, closing her eyes as sleep begins to overtake her.

“I kind of like you a little, I think.” And Chloe can see the smile Beca has on her face without even looking.

“Ew, are you serious? That’s gross.” She manages to scrunch up her nose to try to look disgusted, and the big, beautiful laugh that escapes Beca before arms wrap around her and pull her closer sounds like a lullaby.


	5. Chapter 5

 

“So Tom seems cool, huh?” Chloe asks, turning the volume of the radio in the car down as Beca drives them to Chloe’s apartment after work. Beca glances at Chloe with slightly furrowed eyebrows, wondering why Tom is so important that she just  _ has  _ to quiet R. Kelly.

“I mean, yeah, I guess, if you can get past the fact that his middle name is  _ Sawyer _ .” Tom has just been hired as a season regular whose character comes in and creates some problems for Beca’s and Chloe’s characters and their relationship. Today was his first day on set and the cast’s first time meeting him, and he seemed decent enough, except for the way that he was much too eager to bring up how his name is Tom Sawyer at every opportunity (to which Beca very disinterestedly asked if that was supposed to mean anything just to see how he would react and okay maybe really just to be an ass).

“Oh, come on! He seems really nice, you know? And he’s super cute!” Beca just rolls her eyes because while she certainly knows how to appreciate a man’s looks, she’s never really been one for “boy-talk.”

“Ohmagawd, totes, like did you see his nostrils? So hot, total turn-on,” Beca says in her best preppy, high-school girl voice, and Chloe chuckles, punching her arm lightly.

“Shut up, I was just saying.” Beca laughs at her before poking her cheek blindly, eyes still on the road, and she laughs more when Chloe bites her finger. Chloe grins and looks down at her phone as it buzzes in her lap.

“Who’s that, your steamy lover?” Beca smirks, waggling her eyebrows.

“It’s my wife. She’s wondering when I’ll be home to  _ eat _ ,” Chloe deadpans, barely managing to keep a straight face and winking at Beca as she says “eat.” Beca’s grip on the steering wheel tightens slightly and no, her face does  _ not  _ redden.

“Oh, well tell her I said ‘Hi,’” she says, voice a little higher pitched than usual, before she turns the radio up again, drowning out Chloe’s laughter.

* * *

 

Three days later, Beca is in the small break room they have at the studio, trying her hardest to finish making coffees for herself and for Chloe before Tom sees her and attempts to make her participate in conversation. He’s leaning against the wall, own coffee in hand, animatedly talking to Jesse Swanson about something, which Beca thinks is ridiculous because no matter how much coffee someone has had, no one should be as excited as he seems to be at six a.m.

But, because God does have a sense of humor, she hears Tom tell Jesse that he’ll talk to him later and then he’s yelling “Hey, Becs!” which is  _ completely  _ unnecessary when they’re probably ten feet away from each other and even more unnecessary when they’re ten feet away from each other at this time of the morning.

“Don’t call me that, Tom,” she grimaces, forcing herself to ‘Be gentle, Beca’ as she sets the sugar back down.

“Oh, please, call me ‘Tom Sawyer.’” He says it with a smile that’s supposed to charm her, like he’s doing her a favor, like it’s some kind of privilege to call him that.

“Okay,  _ Tom _ , whatever you want.” And, honestly, how does he not pick up on the fake, cheery tone and the fake, too-wide smile?

“Thanks, Becs! So listen, I was -”

“Tom, stop calling me that.”

“But, Chloe -”

“Is not you. She can call me whatever she wants. You can call me ‘Beca.’” And it’s not like Tom is even a bad guy. Beca is just already kind of tired of his incessant cheeriness and, okay, like Chloe is incessantly cheery, whatever, but it’s not like this, this is like cheeriness with stupid, egotistical cockiness and it’s all just really irritating.

“Okay, sorry, Beca. My bad.” And what the actual hell because she feels kind of bad now, looking at his stupid hurt puppy eyes and really since when has she been a softy?  _ Damn it, Beale. _

“I mean, it’s whatever, it’s okay. It’s just kind of a Chloe thing, you know?” She says softly, taking his coffee cup from him and pouring him some more as a peace offering. He smiles gratefully at her, taking it back and sipping the warm beverage.

“You two are pretty close, huh? Besties?” Beca snorts at the term, shaking her head a little at the two coffees she’s made in front of her.

“You have no idea,” she mumbles. There’s still a little more than a week to go before she and Chloe appear on Ellen, and Beca thinks she’s going to actually explode at the anticipation and anxiety she has over finally revealing their relationship and the desire she has to just go ahead and shout it to the world already. But, they agreed that they would wait until the show, it would be perfect, and everything would be fine.

“So, like, can you tell me how she likes her coffee?” Beca kind of laughs at the question because there are actually several different ways that Chloe likes her coffee, depending on her mood, how early it is, and what the weather or season is like, but she just tells him that it’s the standard two creams and a sugar, wondering why he even wants to know in the first place.

* * *

 

She finds out why he even wants to know in the first place later that day.

“Hey, Beca, you got a second?” Jesse says after they finish the scene they’ve been working on and are walking off of the set. She and Jesse have been together for most of the day, rehearsing lines and shooting several of their scenes for the next episode, and she’s actually really glad that she’s getting a fair amount of screen-time with him and that she gets to spend more time with him in general because she really likes the guy. He’s funny for the most part and he’s nice, genuine. He’s been there since the beginning of the series, and they hit it off pretty quickly when he was hired for the part as her character’s best guy friend. He’s kind of become a real life best guy friend for her, someone she knows she can trust with things if she doesn’t want to talk to Chloe (which never happens, but it’s nice to know he’s there all the same).

“Yeah, Jess, ‘sup?” She responds, picking her script up from her actor’s chair and turning back around to face him.

“So, I’m only telling you this because I know that you like to put guys who are interested in Chloe through the wringer,” he begins, and Beca’s smile falters a bit. “But Tom has a thing for Chloe. And it’s like a quickly growing thing. It’s kind of sweet, really, he gets all tongue-tied and stuff when he’s around her and he rambles when he talks about her. She’s not seeing anyone, right? I think you should help him out some, you know, kind of hint at it to her.”

The script slips from Beca’s grasp, and it takes her a second for it to register with her that she should probably pick it up. Bending down to do so, she has to clench her jaw to keep from screaming or throwing up - both feelings are bubbling up inside of her and are growing stronger by the second. When she straightens back up, she looks at Jesse and thinks for a second that he’s found out about her and Chloe somehow and is just screwing with her. But he has that boyish grin thing on his face and it’s kind of hard not to just trust him.

“Well,” is all that Beca manages to say before she turns back around and makes a beeline for Chloe’s trailer. And she’s really not that surprised because, come on, who  _ doesn’t  _ have a thing for Chloe Beale? Chloe has made gay men question their sexuality. This really is not something that’s new to Beca. She’s dealt with people wanting to be with Chloe the entire time she’s known her - she’s very used to it.

It’s just that it’s a tad bit different this time. Chloe is kind of  _ her  _ Chloe now and while she’s always hated how possessive people can be of their significant others, she’s understanding it a little bit at the moment. Beca is certainly not the jealous type, especially not with Chloe because she knows Chloe loves her way too much to even entertain the idea of  _ seriously  _ flirting with anyone else (Beca can handle the playful flirting just because that’s the way Chloe is and she knows she doesn’t mean anything by it - that’s literally just how she communicates) and  _ especially  _ not of stupid, narcissistic garbage-heads with, like, extremely good looks and nostrils.

And  _ especially _ not when she sees them both standing outside of Chloe’s trailer and Chloe is actually twirling her hair around her finger and looking up at him with that smile that has the whole sun inside of it. Sure, her stomach does this weird boiling flip thing, but she is  _ not  _ jealous, she has zero reasons to be, it’s just that oh my God is he seriously tucking her hair behind her ear shit that is Beca’s move. At least Chloe has the decency to look away and blush some in a totally non-flirty way.

“So what are you doing tomo-”

“Hey, guys!” Beca interrupts Tom, maybe a little too eagerly, as she walks closer to them. Chloe’s smile grows wider instantly when she hears her voice, and she reaches out for her, making Beca suddenly feel very okay again and stupid for letting small things get to her.

“Hey, Becs! Where have you been? Tom  _ Sawyer  _ was just telling me about where his name came from,” Chloe says through gritted teeth as she loops her arm through Beca’s, and Beca has to bite her lip to keep from laughing as their eyes meet because Chloe is looking at her like she is  _ begging  _ her to take her far, far away.

“I’ve been with Jesse all day. I was actually coming by to ask if you were ready to head out? I’m all wrapped for the day, and I know you finished earlier, so… ” She doesn’t feel bad in the slightest when she notices Tom’s face fall.

“Yes! I’m ready! Let’s go right now!” Beca chuckles at the urgency in her tone and they both give Tom a hasty goodbye and make their way to the car. Once they’re far enough away from the studio and in the isolated parking lot, Beca slips Chloe’s arm from hers and intertwines their fingers instead, brushing her thumb over Chloe’s wrist and leaning over to kiss her temple.

“So, you two looked cozy,” she says after she pulls away, glancing at Chloe, and Chloe looks back at her with a playful smirk.

“Oh, yeah, you had just missed us having really wild, hot sex in my trailer.” Beca doesn’t know if she should laugh or cry because it’s such a Chloe thing to say but the visual is making her cringe for more reasons than one.

“Dude, Chlo, no. Don’t. Don’t joke,” she settles for a small chuckle, but Chloe seems to see through it to something that Beca doesn’t even know is there.

“Hey,” Chloe stops them once they find the car, taking both of Beca’s hands in her own and pushing her back to lean against the car as she presses her body to Beca’s lightly. “Don’t worry about it, okay? You’re the only one that I want and in a week, everyone’s going to know it.” She places a kiss on Beca’s nose and Beca scrunches it up at her.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’m just being a little stupid is all.”

“It’s okay, you’re allowed to be a little stupid sometimes, Becs. And that’s not even being stupid.” Beca lets go of Chloe’s hand for a second to bring her own up to Chloe’s face and tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, brushing her fingers across her cheek. Chloe leans in to the touch and brings her hand up to cover the one on her face. “It feels a lot different when you do it.” And Beca is so grateful for how Chloe just always knows what she needs even when she doesn’t know for herself.

* * *

 

It takes them a while to reach Chloe’s apartment in Friday afternoon New York City traffic, so when they finally do, Beca isn’t surprised when she looks over to see that Chloe is asleep, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket and head resting against the window in a not so comfortable position. It’s only about 5:30, but they’ve been working some really crazy hours lately, always starting way too early in the morning.

Beca parks the car and turns it off before turning to look at Chloe again. She reaches her hand out and gently runs her index finger down the side of her face.

“Chlo? Baby, we’re home,” she says softly. It doesn’t even register with her that she’s called Chloe’s apartment their home, the term just rolls right off of her tongue. Chloe stirs a little under her touch, so she strokes her face again before moving her hand down to Chloe’s and giving it a small squeeze. “Sweetheart? Let’s get up, okay?”

Chloe stirs some more before her eyes flutter open, looking for Beca’s immediately.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” And it’s one of Beca’s favorite things, how Chloe’s voice gets a little raspy if she hasn’t used it in more than thirty minutes.

“Nah, it’s okay. You need to rest.” She brings Chloe’s hand to her lips and places a kiss on her knuckles before unbuckling and sliding out of the car, Chloe doing the same.

Fifteen minutes later, Chloe’s lying on top of Beca on the couch, their legs intertwined and Chloe’s head resting below Beca’s chin. It’s really nice, comforting, how they just fit together.

“What are we going to watch for movie night?” Chloe asks around a yawn, and Beca chuckles lightly.

“Maybe the back of our eyelids. That one sounds good.” One hand runs through Chloe’s soft mane while the other trails lightly over Chloe’s back, brushing fingertips up and down underneath her shirt, and Chloe hums as she moves her head to nuzzle closer into Beca’s neck.

“Luke and Aubrey are coming over tomorrow night for monthly dinner since we’re not working much on Sunday, and they’re bringing Grayson and Avery. They were wanting to know if you were joining,” Chloe murmurs into her skin.

“Of course I am, is that a real question?” Beca loves Chloe’s entire family, has since the first day she met them. She’s known Chloe’s brother Luke almost as long as she’s known Chloe, and being several years older than herself, his older brotherly duties were extended to her as well shortly after meeting her - “You’re all right, kid. You and my sis got something special. She loves you, and as far as I’m concerned, that makes you family. If you ever need anything, give me a call,” were his exact words as he very discreetly slipped her a “business card” that was really a piece of napkin with his number scribbled on it. Granted, she was about twelve at the time, so it seemed way cooler than that. She’s looked up to him ever since.

He met Aubrey in law school, and they were both hired by a big law firm in New York City shortly after becoming engaged, which was really convenient since Beca and Chloe would move there in a few more years. The girls have always gotten along well, and they’re all great friends. Chloe was just excited to have a sister in the family. No one really expected Luke to settle down.

But now he has a beautiful wife, and they have two amazing kids who Beca and Chloe fell completely in love with the moment they saw their faces. Grayson is four now, and the first time Beca heard the words “Aunt Beca” (sounding more like “Ann Beca” but still beautiful) come out of his mouth, she had to bite her tongue so she wouldn’t cry. She’s only had the privilege of meeting little Avery twice but she’s positive the world is a much better place now that it’s been graced with Avery Reese Beale’s presence for three months.

“I’m cooking spaghetti because it’s Grayson’s favorite,” Chloe says, resting her hand on Beca’s hip.

“Oh, you’re cooking? I just remembered I have to do something else tomorrow night, like something far away, I can’t make it.” She says with a serious tone, and she feels Chloe smile against her neck.

“I’ll see you at six.”

* * *

 

The next morning, Beca walks into Chloe’s trailer, coffees in hand, and is about to hand Chloe hers, as is their daily routine, when she notices Chloe sitting at her small kitchen table, reading over her script and sipping from the coffee she already has.

“Where did that come from?” Beca asks, furrowing her eyebrows at Chloe. Getting Chloe coffee is like her job and one that she really likes, and she feels like she’s been fired.

“Oh, Tom came by earlier and gave it to me. Sweet, right?” Chloe responds, looking up to smile at Beca.

“Yeah… Sweet,” she says slowly, moving to sit down across from Chloe at the table. Chloe looks back down at her script and absentmindedly rubs her temple with one hand, and Beca smirks, scooting the coffee she made for Chloe closer to her. “But, did he know to put that cinnamon roll flavored creamer in it because it’s kind of cold and rainy outside and you woke up with a small headache?”

Chloe looks back up at her then and gives her the biggest smile, and Beca winks at her, pushing the coffee even closer.

“Oh, my God, you’re a lifesaver. I wasn’t going to complain,” she breathes out, eagerly taking the cup in her hands and letting the warmth of it seep through her skin to her bones before taking a sip and closing her eyes at the soothing perfection of it and of Beca. She hums her approval, and Beca’s grin expands.

“Thought so,” she says, grin turning into her trademark smirk as she leans back in her seat. She’s about to flip through her script to rehearse with Chloe when she realizes she doesn’t have it with her. “Chlo, I think I left my script in the break room. I’ll go get it and be right back, okay?”

Chloe just looks up briefly, giving her a small smile and a nod before returning to her own script. Beca slips out of the trailer and makes her way back into the break room, looking over at the coffee table where she probably left it. Seeing it there, she heads towards it and hears Tom’s voice behind her.

“Yeah, things are going pretty well with Chloe. I’ve got her in the palm of my hand already, it’s only a matter of time before I bone her. I’m going to make her my bitch, and she’s not going to know if she wants to beg me to stop or keep going,” he says, laughing with the guys he’s talking to.

Beca can feel how wide her eyes get and how high her temperature climbs, blood boiling and heart thumping so hard and fast she thinks it will kill her. Her hands and jaw automatically clench, and the knot in her stomach twists as he just keeps laughing, like it’s some _joke_ to him. How can _anyone_ just so casually talk about Chloe like that, disrespect her like that, not even thinking twice, and have the nerve to _laugh_ about it?

She forces herself to calm her breaths, reaching her arms out to rest her palms against the coffee table and letting her head hang down with closed eyes.  _ Breathe, Beca. In, out, in, out.  _ Each forced breath shakes her body until they’re coming slower and more regularly, but there was really no use in doing all of that when she turns around and sees him still talking with the group of guys she notices are pretty regular extras and that makes it even worse because he’s spreading shit like that to people who don’t even know Chloe or know what she’s really like. Standing up straighter and putting on the biggest, fakest smile she can manage, she strolls over to them.

“Oh, hey, Beca!” Tom says to her like the single most infuriating, blood-curdling thing to ever be thought has not just come out of his mouth.

“Hey,  _ Tom _ ,” she says through gritted teeth, laying her hand on his shoulder very heavily. “How are you doing?”

“I’m -”

“That’s great. Listen,” she moves closer to him until she’s able to look him directly in the eye, fake smile immediately falling, fixing him with a sharp glare and a tightening grip on his shoulder. “If I  _ ever _ hear you say something like that about Chloe again or even see you interacting with her at all outside of shooting scenes, I will cut your balls off with a rusty steak knife and shove them so far up your ass that you won’t be able to walk or talk for months. Okay?”

The smile comes back as she removes her hand and backs away from the group, nodding and saying, “Have a great day, gentlemen,” before grabbing her script and going back to Chloe’s trailer, reveling in the wide-eyed looks she’s getting.

* * *

 

“Hey, are you okay?” Chloe asks later that day as they’re taking a break in Beca’s trailer after lunch, Beca sitting on her couch with Chloe’s head in her lap. “You’ve seemed kind of off since this morning.”

“What? Yeah, no, I’m good,” she says, looking down to glance at Chloe while she runs a hand through her own hair. She can feel Chloe’s eyes on her still, so she brings the hand back down to poke Chloe’s forehead. “I’m good, Red.”

“Is it the thing with the coffee this morning?” Chloe asks, still unconvinced. “Because, I promise, like, it was completely innocent, it doesn’t mean anything.”

Beca can’t help but scoff a little because yeah, it was  _ so  _ innocent. Definitely to Tom.

“Hey. Talk to me, Becs. What’s wrong?” Chloe brings her fingers up to Beca’s jaw, trying to make her look down at her. And, no, of course Beca isn’t going to tell her what’s wrong. She would never want Chloe to know what that pathetic asshole said about her, so she takes the hand on her face and kisses the palm before gently playing with her fingers, trying to let Chloe know that she’s okay, and she really is, she just still has a bit of a fever. And that seems to be all that’s needed because she hears Chloe’s soft, appeasing “Okay.”

After a few seconds of comfortable silence, Beca brings the hand that isn’t playing with Chloe’s fingers to Chloe’s face, outlining her forehead, eyebrows, nose, jaw as she watches her eyes flutter closed for a second.

“You know I love you so much, right? I’m so lucky to have you. I know I don’t, like, say it that much or anything, but I mean it. You make the sun shine as far as I’m concerned, and you are literally the best person in every sense of the word, no matter what you hear people say about you, okay? I am so in love with you. Don’t forget it, Red.” She keeps looking at Chloe, small smile on her face as Chloe looks up at her with furrowed eyebrows. 

And it’s really not something that they just say. It’s not something that just comes out of their mouths - it’s a way of living, a lifestyle. It’s not said when one wants something from the other but when one needs the other to understand the whys and the hows behind everything they do. When the lone knowledge of it is not enough and the desperate need to speak it and to hear it spoken is greater, when broken whispers mean just as much as firm yells, and when gentle brushes mean just as much as strong grasps.

“Baby, how can I forget it when you show me everyday? You don’t let me think for a second that I’m not the greatest thing on the planet.” Chloe gives her a reassuring smile, and Beca leans down to kiss her forehead.

“I mean, don’t get a big head or anything,” she murmurs into her skin, and Chloe laughs at how she is so easily able to break a moment without it being annoying as she brings her hand up to the back of Beca’s head.

“Don’t worry, there’s not enough room for two big heads in this relationship.”

* * *

 

At 6:30 p.m. on the dot, there’s a knock at Chloe’s door to which Beca promptly answers “No one is here!” But as soon as she hears Grayson’s voice on the other side calling out for Aunt Beca, she just can’t not open it.

As soon as she does so, all she sees is a blur of curly blond hair before a small body is wrapped firmly around her legs. She winks at Aubrey and grins at Luke who’s toting a sleeping Avery in her carrier seat as they walk in behind their son.

“Um, I’m sorry, who are you?” She asks, looking down at the boy hugging her legs, and Chloe laughs behind her, placing a hand on the small of her back and looking down at the boy as well. Grayson lifts his head up to look at her then, his eyebrows knit together over bright green eyes that match his mom’s, but it’s actually pretty funny how much he looks like his dad in that moment.

“You don’t remember?” He almost looks like he could cry, so Beca effortlessly picks him up and sets him on her hip, using the hand that isn’t holding him to poke around his face and pull at his cheeks, acting like she’s examining him.

“Oh! I see it now, you’re Grayson! My best friend! You’ve just grown up a little since the last time I saw you!” It’s really only been about a month since she’s seen him, but it’s almost as fun to mess with him as it is to mess with Chloe. She moves her hand to tickle his belly, and he writhes in her arms with high-pitched giggles before she puts him back down, watching as he scurries to hide behind Chloe.

“Well, hey, little man! Nice of you to come see me!” Chloe squats down to ruffle his hair, and he takes her face in his hands, squeezing her cheeks to make a fish face before giggling some more. He almost makes her fall back with the hug he gives her. He’s always been an affectionate kid, and Beca thinks he’s like Chloe in that way. Seeing Chloe’s arms engulf him in an equally as big hug makes her heart jump a little.

Beca and Chloe each move to give Luke and Aubrey both a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and Beca sees that Avery has woken up. She’s surprised she isn’t crying because, like, Beca would be if she had just woken up surrounded by  _ five  _ whole people. Tough girl. She bends down so she’s eye level with her.

“Girl, where did you get that outfit?” She asks her just like she’s talking to an adult and she nods her head like she’s listening to the answer as everyone laughs around her. “Oh, yeah, I love that store.”

Beca takes the carrier away from Luke and hauls it to the living room area, setting it on the coffee table in front of the couch. She unbuckles Avery and takes her out of the carrier, holding her against her chest and resting her little head against her shoulder, right next to her neck.

“Hey, pretty,” she whispers, lips brushing against the top of her head. The hand supporting Avery’s neck plays with what little strawberry-blond hair is on her head as she bounces a little on instinct and walks over to everyone else still in the kitchen. 

Chloe might be dying. She loves every side of Beca, but this side, this one that almost no one gets to see, does things to her heart that should be illegal. She’s seen Beca with children countless times (Beca’s grandmother had a daycare service back in Atlanta and they would both help her in the summers) and has always been fascinated with how quickly Beca’s whole demeanor changes when she’s with them, but she’s seeing things a little differently now that they’re actually together. Watching her with Grayson and Avery now is like suddenly having her breath knocked out of her and having it all restored in the same second. 

The softness and gentleness that Chloe knows all too well now from Beca “Badass-Not-A-Single-Care” Mitchell becomes unabashedly on display, and Beca’s voice turns even smoother, silkier, softer, like how Chloe knows it to be at three in the morning when Beca’s hands are drawing lazy patterns on her skin and they’re talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Her movements get slower and more deliberate and her smile gets warmer and more relaxed. Like it’s possible, Beca becomes even more charming, and it makes Chloe weak.

Beca stands beside Chloe in the kitchen, looking down at Avery while Chloe looks at her, and Aubrey kind of can’t take it anymore.

“Okay, like, get married?” She looks at them with raised eyebrows as Luke chuckles beside her. Chloe looks at her with a bright smile on her face before leaning over and pressing a kiss to Beca’s temple and then to Avery’s head, brushing her fingertips down the baby’s arm before letting her wrap her hand around her index finger.

Luke and Aubrey have known about Beca’s and Chloe’s relationship since it first started - it didn’t take them long to figure it out. A month after they got together, the family was over for their monthly dinner with Beca and Chloe and Luke had asked Beca if he could talk to her for a second.

_ Six Months Earlier _

_ “Hey, Beca? Can we talk? I just want to catch up for a second.” Beca notices straight away the glint in his eye, and she narrows her eyes at him. _

_ “Sure…” She says slowly, walking with him to Chloe’s bedroom, and it’s then that she knows something is up because if he really wants to catch up, they could do that on the couch. _

_ “Grayson, go play with Aunt Chloe for a minute,” He says to the boy that’s eagerly following behind them, and she chuckles at the pout that crosses his face before he’s grinning again and running off to find “Ann Chlo.” They walk into the room, and Luke turns to face Beca with a serious expression on his face, and she suddenly understands how he wins so many cases. _

_ “Is there something you want to tell me?” He says, as serious as can be, but he still has that little glint in his eye so Beca is slightly relaxed. Slightly. _

_ “Um… I don’t… What are you meaning about?” Yes, nailed it. Casual and smooth, her voice isn’t even that high. Then he smiles, like full on grins at her and she gives him a shaky smile back. _

_ “I knew it. How long?” His smile is almost as contagious as Chloe’s and it makes her relax more and smile easier. She sighs, shaking her head a little. _

_ “Only about a month.” Then she feels arms wrap tightly around her and she really isn’t one for physical contact, but this is basically her brother so she makes an exception and hugs him back just as tight. _

_ “Finally. I’ve been waiting forever for you two to get your heads out of your asses,” he says into her hair and she chuckles against him. He pulls back, keeping his hands on her arms. “She’s treating you right, yeah?” _

_ “Of course, she doesn’t know how to do anything but. It’s sickening how amazing she is.” She rolls her eyes good-naturedly, and he laughs, easily picking her up and hugging her again, swinging her a little before putting her back down and swiftly walking out of the bedroom to do the same thing to Chloe. _

_ Chloe lets out a little squeal as he lifts her and just looks at Beca over his shoulder with a question in her eyes which Beca responds to by throwing her hands up like “I don’t know how.” _

_ She sees a very pregnant Aubrey looking at her with a knowing smirk before she hears Grayson yell at his dad not to hurt “Ann Chlo.” _

“One day, huh?” She says to Avery, and she can  _ feel  _ Beca’s eyes on her. She hears her say “Nah,” but Chloe knows the humorous, sarcastic tone behind it. She looks at Beca again and catches her wink. Just then, Beca feels a bit of drool on her neck, and she looks back down at Avery with raised eyebrows.

“Whoa, wait a second, Miss, you haven’t even taken me on a date yet.” The room is laughing again, and Avery looks up at her with big blue eyes like she knows what she’s just said. Her little hand moves in front of Beca’s face, settling right on her mouth, and Beca munches gently on her fingers. Chloe practically swoons and takes Avery from Beca’s arms, holding her up in front of her for a second.

“Okay, princess, help me set the table.” Beca watches her walk to get plates down from the cabinet, expertly holding Avery to her with one arm, and Grayson comes running towards her again. She bends down just in time to catch him in her arms and swing him up, pretending she’s going to bite the skin that’s showing where his shirt has risen up which makes him squeal, and it takes everything she has not to think about how she really can’t wait to have this with Chloe someday.


	6. Chapter 6

 

One of Beca’s favorite ways to wake up is to Chloe’s kisses - soft, light, feathery ones all over her face or her shoulders or her back - and to slow circles being drawn on her hips or her waist or her stomach. Her other favorite way to wake up is to Chloe’s eyes, to the age-old feeling of Chloe’s gaze on her.

Beca’s eyes flutter open lazily to meet observant cerulean ones that are watching every expression that crosses her face, from the slight furrowing of eyebrows to the relaxation of recognition to the slow progression of a yawn. Chloe’s smile is small but bright, excited, like she’s watching her favorite movie, one that she’s profoundly familiar with and knows all the lines to but one that reveals small surprises, hidden away for only her to find. 

They’re both turned on their sides, facing each other, and Beca watches Chloe watch her for a few seconds. Watches the way the slow rhythm of her breaths moves her chest and the way the corners of her lips steadily slip upwards under Beca’s deep blues. Beca reaches out and brushes her fingers along Chloe’s arm that’s resting in the space between them before interlocking their fingers, bringing Chloe’s hand to her lips. She holds it there, eyes still on Chloe’s face, and kisses it lightly, smiling against the skin.

Chloe gently removes her hand from Beca’s in favor of tracing her fingers over her jaw and down her neck to her collarbone. Beca, in turn, moves her now free hand to Chloe’s waist, beneath her pajama shirt, and pulls her closer to her. She presses her lips to Chloe’s forehead, rubbing tantalizing circles where her fingers meet bare skin. Chloe loves these moments. Where they just look and touch and be.

“You’re making me crazy,” Chloe whispers, hand gently fisting the material of Beca’s shirt as Beca’s own hand ghosts up her ribcage, sending a small shiver through her body. Beca hums against her forehead before pulling back to look at her face, hand moving to rest at her hip. 

“Today’s the day,” Chloe says quietly after a few seconds, pulling part of her bottom lip in between her teeth and slowly letting it slip back out as her smile grows wider. Beca hangs on to every movement.

“Today’s the day,” Beca affirms raspily, and Chloe’s grin is blinding.

“Today is big.” Chloe moves her hand to find Beca’s fingers on her hip, splaying her own across them.

“Today is big,” Beca affirms again, hand turning over to let Chloe trace the lines in her palm. They fall silent, enjoying being alone with one another for a little while before they disclose the nature of their relationship on national television later that day and the level of intimate privacy they have is altered. 

Beca lets her eyes slip closed again at the feeling of Chloe’s fingertips brushing up her arm now and lets out a contented sigh. Chloe halts her movements for a second, making Beca open her eyes back up to look at her.

“Are you ready?” Chloe whispers, eyebrows knit together, and Beca can’t help but chuckle a little.

“Chloe, if I go much longer without reaching to grab your hand while we take walks or leaning over to kiss your cheek when you make me laugh in the grocery store, I think I’ll die. I am more than ready. I don’t want to keep it a secret anymore, I’m ready for everyone to see how lucky I am.” Beca smirks and wraps her arm around Chloe’s waist, pulling her completely against herself in their shared hotel room bed and sliding her hand down to hitch Chloe’s leg over her hip. Chloe gasps at the abruptness of the contact and involuntarily arches herself into Beca, making Beca’s smirk grow wider before it gets softer. She brings her hand up to brush her thumb over Chloe’s temple before running fingers through red tresses. “I’m kind of in love with you, Beale, and I want everyone to know it.”

* * *

 

Trying to walk into the studio where Ellen’s show is filmed is like trying to walk through lions as an antelope. Attack is inevitable. As soon as Beca steps out of the backseat of the vehicle she and Chloe were driven to the studio in, she’s assaulted with clicks of camera shutters and incessant shouts of her name and for her to “look here, Beca!” “look at me!” “smile, Beca!” There are hordes of people lining both sides of the walkway behind yellow barriers that do little to nothing to keep some semblance of peace, and the crowd seems to immediately draw closer to her, invade her space, hands reaching out from all directions to try and touch every part of her that they can. She turns back around to face the car and bends down to look at Chloe who has been watching with raised eyebrows and a small, somewhat frightened smile from the backseat. 

“It’s a good thing I brought my tranquilizers,” Chloe says with a nervous chuckle, and Beca loves how she does that. How she still tries to joke a little even when she’s kind of freaked out because she doesn’t do crowds like in any capacity whatsoever. 

“You won’t need them. I’ve got you.” Beca flashes her a reassuring smile and a wink as she reaches her hand into the car, offering it to Chloe. Chloe takes it gratefully, allowing herself to be helped from the vehicle. There’s a fresh wave of screams and camera clicks when she emerges, and Beca feels the grip on her hand tighten slightly. The smile on Chloe’s face and the wave she gives to the crowd would never give her anxiety away, though.

This is absolutely nothing new. Beca’s too used to this than anyone should ever have to be, but Chloe has never been fond of the idea of people screaming at her to give them attention and of them sometimes going to extreme lengths to make sure they get it. And it’s not that Beca is fond of it - she really doesn’t even understand it - but she can just let it roll off of her. Chloe can’t. She gets worked up, gets panicky. Chloe is bright and exuberant, not very calm at all most days. She is always soothing and peaceful, but not exactly calm. Calm is Beca’s thing which is why it is so  _ crucial  _ that Chloe has some kind of contact with her at every second during these situations, so she can ground her. Beca is calm at pretty much all times of the day, even when she slams her thumb in a car door and is the one having to comfort a distressed Chloe after the fact. Nothing really gets to her. Nothing really gets to her unless it’s something to do with Chloe, which is why she has to make absolute certain that she is okay at least every two milliseconds in moments like this. 

Beca slips her hand from Chloe’s, immediately moving it to the small of her back where it will take somewhat permanent residence for the duration of their brisk walk to the studio doors, only coming away to assist in signing some autographs. People seem to squeal at the small movement, and Beca can’t help but smirk a little because, boy, are they going to have a field day when they find out exactly what’s going to be revealed later.

Beca focuses most of her time on the few people who aren’t crazily yelling their names or shoving pens and paper in their faces, telling them to give autographs, but who are sheepishly saying hi and asking for them instead. She gives them genuine smiles back, even carrying on small conversation with some of them, hoping they know just how appreciated they are for providing a little break from the insanity. Most of them are teens, which isn’t as surprising as it sounds. Teens usually aren’t the crazy ones - it’s the middle-aged women that have to be looked out for. With them being two beautiful, early-to-mid-twenties ladies, they have a rather large teen following. And they’re very aware of the “shippers” that mostly fall into that age range. It makes Beca laugh to think that these teenagers saw from early on what she was blind to for so long.

* * *

 

While waiting backstage for Ellen to announce them as her next guests on the show, Beca and Chloe chat idly. A crew member with a headset on pokes his head around a curtain, telling them they have five minutes until go-time.

“Is it weird that I’m kind of nervous or…” Beca says after a few seconds of listening to Ellen tell various jokes. She has an idea of what to expect with this being their third time on Ellen’s show together, but the sudden anxiety she’s feeling is new and very unwelcome. She’s about to willingly reveal a big chunk of her personal life, something that she hasn’t been very keen on doing, and it’s getting to her a little bit.

“Oh, thank God, I’m not alone,” Chloe breathes out, and Beca laughs lightly, reaching out to brush her index finger over Chloe’s hand that’s hanging by her side. 

Beca checks her phone before it’s time to go out and sees that she has just received a message from her mother saying “You two are going to break several million hearts today and restore billions more. Do it with grace and a whole lot of pride. So proud of you girls, and I love you both very much.” Chloe smiles as Beca reads it aloud and laughs heartily as Darlene’s message for herself comes through.

“‘I love you most, Chlo-worm - don’t tell Beca, I’ll deny it,’” She reads off between laughs, and Beca just nods.

“I don’t blame her,” she says, and Chloe playfully crinkles her nose at her. They stay silent for a few more seconds before Beca speaks up again. “So, like, if I throw up, you know, just go along with it, laugh or something. Make a joke. Maybe throw up, too, I don’t know,” Her face is set in a serious expression, and Chloe barely has time to stop laughing before the same crew member is pointing at them, they’re hearing their names, and it’s time to walk out.

“It is so good to have you two back, I love having you on the show, you’re so much fun,” Ellen says, all smiles as Beca and Chloe settle into the couch.

“Thank you so much,” “We’re so happy to be here,” Beca and Chloe respond respectively, glancing at each other and smiling. Ellen looks between the two, smile growing wider.

“Okay, just to get one thing out of the way - you two are completely adorable. Like every time I see you together, on your show and everything. It’s kind of ridiculous,” she says, her face becoming comically somber halfway through the statement. Chloe laughs at her while Beca just looks at her confusedly.

“What are you talking about, I just met her. Just now, backstage,” Beca says, eyebrows knit together, no sign of joking on her face. Chloe and Ellen both let out a bark of laughter as Beca looks back and forth at them with the same expression. “I’m missing something. This always happens to me.” She and Chloe make eye contact and her resolve begins to break as Chloe looks down, shaking her head with a small smile on her face.

“Well, it was fun everyone,” Chloe says then, addressing the audience and acting like she’s going to get up from the couch. Beca laughs, reaching for her arm, pulling her back down gently and leaving her hand where it is longer than it should have been.

“I’m kidding,” Beca says with a smile that quickly turns into a grimace as she looks out at the audience, mouthing, “I’m not kidding.” The whole exchange gains uproarious laughter from the audience, and Beca and Chloe both grin at the sound. Ellen looks at the pair fondly before proceeding with her questions.

“So, you two are moving into the fourth season of your show, right?  _ The Bond of Friendship or Something _ ?”

“Yes, we are. We’ve been filming the first few episode for several weeks now,” Beca affirms, glancing at Chloe who’s absently nodding her head beside her. 

“Yeah, it’s kind of crazy to think that we’re already in the fourth season and about how far the show’s come,” Chloe adds. “You know, when we first started, we weren’t sure how people would really respond to it because it’s essentially another  _ Friends _ -type show, just without the live audience. But we’ve been incredibly blessed with the overall positive response and reviews and our fans, oh my gosh, our fans. Like everyone says that they have the best fans but it’s only because they don’t know what ours are like.” That gains some applause from the audience, and Chloe casts a shy smile towards them. Beca hums in agreement, grinning at everyone.

“Can you tell us some things that are happening this season?” Ellen asks, eyebrows raising and an easy smile spreading with the question. Chloe gestures slightly to her left in Beca’s direction, offering her the lead.

“Um, well, we can tell you some things that we know,” Beca starts, directing her attention back to Ellen. “We know that someone comes in and kind of causes some problems for the characters this season, and it’s pretty comedic how some of the situations get dealt with. I mean, it sounds pretty lame, but that’s the extent of our knowledge right now.” She laughs a little, glancing at Chloe as she starts to speak.

“We, ourselves, don’t even know much that happens before we get the scripts, everything is pretty hush-hush around there. Our writer has an incredible mind and imagination, so even when you can kind of tell where something’s going, she completely throws you for a loop.”

“Is that what happened when you two got paired together on the show?” Ellen asks, and Beca and Chloe are both thrown some by the question. They recover quickly, chuckling softly.

“Uh, yeah. Um…” Chloe says through laughter, and it makes Beca look at her, laughing harder as Chloe’s face reddens.

“I still remember the call that I got from Chloe,” she says, laughter subsiding a little as the memory runs through her mind. “She was being kind of mysterious and was all like ‘Have you read the script yet’ and at first I was just thinking that that was a really stupid question because I never read the script,” she says, laughing again as Chloe rolls her eyes at Beca’s attempt to imitate her voice.

“Why do you always give me like this valley-girl accent?”

“That’s how you talk.”

“That is n-”

“That’s how you talk.”

“Be-”

“Like, I understand why you don’t like to hear yourself on television.”

Chloe backhands her arm hard enough to make a sound but soft enough to where it doesn’t sting, but Beca still clutches at her arm dramatically.

“I really didn’t want to have to call the cops again,” she says, and she swears she’s never seen Chloe’s eyes roll so far back into her head… Well…at least not in this particular context. She smirks as Chloe looks back at her, and Chloe sticks her tongue out at her. Ellen brings them back in with another question.

“So, how has that been? I mean, we’ve talked before about how you two have been very close friends since childhood, so that’s got to be hard, right?” Beca and Chloe look at each other again, faces flushing slightly. Beca lets out a small sigh, looking back at Ellen.

“Um, yeah, I mean, it was...it was a little weird for me at first,” she starts, nodding. “But not in that I was completely put off by doing it. It was weird in that I didn’t want things to  _ get  _ weird between us, you know? I was pretty scared that that would negatively affect what I’ve always had with Chloe which was actually pretty stupid of me to think because now I’m convinced that there’s absolutely nothing that could ruin in the slightest what we have, so…” She trails off, looking at Chloe who’s nodding slowly beside her with a smile on her face.

“Yeah, I mean I was never… There was never any…” Chloe laughs a little as she tries to get her words out. “Well, okay, let me just say that there’s always been this incredibly deep comfort and understanding and whole-hearted trust in our relationship, even from a really young age. And it’s just one of those things where you constantly know that it doesn’t matter what happens ever because it’s all going to be okay with us. Beca is incredible and never fails to help me move past any anxiety I feel, and I was nervous at first, I’m not going to sit here and say I wasn’t - I was for several reasons - but...that’s the beauty of us, there’s too much there for there to have been any room for real anxiety over it.”

Beca looks down, grinning, before she looks back up to meet Chloe’s eyes and her grin instantly gets softer. She reaches over and squeezes her knee, and Chloe’s hand automatically moves to touch Beca’s, smiling back at her. They hear Ellen clear her throat, making them turn their attention back to her.

“It’s totally your choice but you should be together,” she says after a few seconds, and both Beca and Chloe chuckle, faces reddening slightly. Beca shifts in her seat, smoothing out invisible wrinkles on her pants as Chloe pretends to pick some lint from her dress. They both know that this is the moment, that that statement is giving them the opportunity they need, and butterflies are absolutely  _ swarming _ . Beca quickly glances at Chloe and a flip switches somewhere. She visibly calms, leaning back more into the couch and resting her arm against the armrest, lips turning up into her trademark half-smile. Chloe knows that look, knows what’s about to happen, and she prepares herself for it.

“Yeah, good thing we are then, right?” Aside from a few gasps from different areas in the audience, the room is relatively silent. Chloe chances a look at everyone and sees some people covering open-wide mouths with their hands, some not covering them at all, some bouncing in their seats, some grinning so widely that Chloe doesn’t understand how their faces aren’t splitting open. She looks back at Ellen and sees that she falls into the “not covering open-wide mouth” category, and it makes the grin on her face match the split-faced ones in the audience.

“No, I’m sorry, what?” Ellen recovers, looking between the pair. Beca laughs lightly, reaching over to touch Chloe’s leg briefly.

“I know, it surprised me, too, when Chloe told me we were together,” she jokes, and then there are just cheers. Everywhere. Beca and Chloe even see some of the crew members backstage applauding. There are various murmurs of “I knew it!”s and “I told you so.”s and “Bechloe!”s and it’s all kind of overwhelming. Chloe looks over at Beca with raised eyebrows, and Beca just looks back at her with that soft smile on her face that makes Chloe’s insides twist in the best way and she’s surprised at the lack of anxiety she feels in that moment. The obvious support they have from everyone in the audience and the way Beca is looking at her like she’s the best thing that’s happened to mankind are making her throat close and her nose burn. Beca sees her eyes get watery and decides to break it up like only she knows how.

“I honestly don’t know why everyone seems so excited about this. I thought that you all would understand that this is clearly a hostage situation, she is holding me against my will,” she says dramatically, eyebrows raised and hand gesturing wildly at Chloe, earning unified laughter from the audience. She holds the hand up to her face, between Chloe and her mouth, talking to the side of it like she’s trying to keep what she’s saying from Chloe’s ears. “Why are you laughing? Someone call 911.”

Chloe watches her, shaking her head as Beca puts her hand back in her lap, interlocking her own fingers and twiddling her thumbs, giving Chloe a nervous, strained smile without meeting her eyes. Beca breaks “character” then and gives her a genuine smile, reaching out to touch her arm. Chloe recoils back into the couch, drawing her arms up in front of her.

“No, don’t touch me,” she says, feigning anger, and Beca barks out a laugh, scooting closer and placing her hand squarely on Chloe’s face who, in turn, shoves it away. Chloe then shoots her a wry smile, and they direct their attention back to Ellen, their little act having ended. Ellen laughs at the two wholeheartedly, eyes twinkling fondly.

“You can definitely see why your show is such a hit, with you two being the main characters. I don’t think I laugh harder when watching anyone else,” she starts before noncommittally waving her hand between the two. “How long has this been going on?”

“About seven and a half months,” Chloe answers at the same time Beca answers with “About thirteen years.” Ellen laughs along with the audience yet again, shaking her head. 

“Okay, time for the serious questions,” she says, sobering.

“Yeah.”

“Sure.”

“Who is the better kisser?” Ellen asks.

“I am,” they answer simultaneously. They look at each other then, eyebrows drawn together. “No, I am,” they again answer simultaneously, and Ellen cuts them off, laughing and shaking a hand at them.

“Guys, seriously, y’all are too much fun,” she says, and Beca narrows her eyes at Chloe before they both turn back to look at her. They know that their time is coming to an end, so they give their full attention to Ellen as she closes. “I just want to say congratulations to you both, you are such a lovely, wonderful couple. The world needs more love like yours. Thank you so much for being here.”

Beca and Chloe nod at her with big grins as they all stand up, each of the girls hugging Ellen before Beca tries to hug Chloe. Chloe lets her get close enough to where Beca will stumble if Chloe abruptly backs away, and that’s exactly what she does, reveling in the playful glare that it earns her.

If they thought getting into the studio was rough, getting out is like hell. A weirdly pleasant hell because everyone there is cheering for them but still hell. Upon stepping out of the building, they are immediately assaulted by screams and hands trying to touch them and several “Kiss her!”s and “Get married!”s and “Have babies!” Beca would have almost found it funny if it hadn’t been kind of terrifying. 

Her arm slips securely around Chloe’s waist, walking her to their car and using her free hand to give everyone a small wave. She again focuses on the calmer people, the ones who are just giving them big smiles and thumbs ups and small claps to navigate them through the chaos of it all. When they reach the end of the walkway, they find their car waiting for them with their driver already inside, and Beca swiftly opens the door to the backseat, letting Chloe slide in first before following after her. As they settle in, clicking their seatbelts, Chloe’s hand finds hers and Beca looks over at her, convinced that Chloe’s smile and the sun are made of the exact same things.

* * *

 

Back at Chloe’s apartment the next night, Chloe is sitting on the edge of her couch watching news footage of herself and Beca and scrolling through her twitter feed when Beca walks in, carrying a bottle of wine and a cheesecake in a very pretty cardboard box with a green bow wrapped around it. Chloe looks at her from where she sits, eyebrows raised and a slow smile spreading across her face.

“What, my dear, are you doing?” She asks, teasingly lilting her voice at the faux pet name.

“Why, dearest, we are celebrating,” she teases back, holding the items in her hands up slightly. Chloe chuckles, leaning back into the couch some.

“What are we celebrating?” She asks, watching as Beca sets the items down on the kitchen counter. She moves to grab Chloe’s favorite candle and places it in the middle of the kitchen table before walking to the cabinet that the matches are usually kept in. Opening it and seeing no such matches, she turns her head to Chloe, eyebrows furrowed in a question. “Oh, yeah, I’m sorry, I forgot I moved them to the drawer by the utensils.”

“Ah…” Beca says, walking to said drawer and removing the small box. Taking one out and striking it, she lights the pumpkin scented candle, saying, “Honestly, we’re celebrating the fact that I made it in here alive. I was scared for my life at the market with all of the screaming fans there - gotta love them, really - and there are like two hundred paparazzi dudes outside your door. I swear, it’s like they think we’re together or something.”

“I know, crazy right?” Chloe laughs at her, sitting back up on the couch to grab her phone from the coffee table. “Have you seen twitter?”

“Oh, hell no. I’m not going near that,” Beca says, moving to the couch. She steps lightly onto it, using Chloe’s shoulder as leverage, and sits gently behind her, one leg on either side of Chloe and arms coming to circle around her abdomen. Chloe puts her phone back down and leans back against her, hands running down her calf muscles soothingly. 

Beca moves one hand up to sweep Chloe’s hair away from her neck before coming back down to her abdomen and pulling her even closer against her. She places a kiss on the back of her neck, dragging her lips from there to just under her jaw, an obvious weak spot for Chloe. Beca sucks the pulsepoint there, and Chloe’s breath hitches, fingers digging softly into Beca’s legs. Beca chuckles lowly, removing her lips from her neck only to place them at her ear, biting gently on her earlobe. She feels the shudder that runs through Chloe’s body and melts into it.

She moves her lips to Chloe’s shoulder and presses them there, listening to her regain control of her breaths before resting her chin there. She hugs her even tighter from behind, feeling Chloe sigh against her.

“So, hostage, huh? Because this all seems pretty voluntarily and willingly done to me,” Chloe says after a few seconds. She feels the vibrations of Beca’s laughter against her back, and she tries to ignore what it does to her.

“Stockholm Syndrome is a real thing, babe, don’t mock.” Beca chuckles against her neck, slipping her hands underneath Chloe’s shirt and brushing her fingers over contracting abdominal muscles. It all kind of makes Chloe forget that she should absolutely not be giving in this easily before she reaches her hand back to Beca’s head, and she pushes rather sexily back into her, feeling Beca’s hiss ghost over her ear. Stockholm Syndrome, her ass.


	7. Chapter 7

 

The first few weeks following Beca’s and Chloe’s public declaration come with a plethora of phone calls ranging anywhere from radio stations to late night television to early morning talk shows. The producers of a game show even call, and Beca very heartily and fervently answers the request for the couple to be featured on an episode with a loud, resounding “God, no.” Needless to say, this earns about a four-hour long pout from a certain Game Show Network-obsessed redhead (“You  _ know _ how much I love  _ Idiotest _ , Beca.” “Chloe, I don’t need a game show to tell me I’m an idiot or to further prove how much of one I am.”).

Their fellow castmates throw a surprise party at the studio for them when they return from their three days off set, complete with cake, slightly spiked punch, balloons, party horns and hats, a photobooth, and a makeshift dancefloor. It is there that the pool in which the cast had previously been betting on if they were really together and how long they had been is revealed and where, subsequently, a new one betting on how long they’ll stay together is begun. Several members of the cast, including Jesse, Stacie Jones, and Ashley Gardner all throw in bills cheerfully saying anything along of the lines of “forever” while the rest, such as “Fat” Amy Wallace, Lilly Okanakamura, Cynthia-Rose Adams, and Jessica Weisman all contribute saying “However long it takes for Chloe to wise up,” throwing teasing smiles over their shoulders as Chloe wraps her arms around a glaring Beca’s neck, planting a wet kiss on her cheek. Oddly enough, the only one who doesn’t seem to be having a good time is Tom.

Later, after Beca and Chloe have slow danced to a few songs, holding each other close and smiling into each other’s necks and lips, Stacie comes up to them and asks, in a not entirely quiet way, how the sex is, and Beca blanches, murmuring something about punch before taking Chloe’s cup and swiftly turning on her heel to walk away as Chloe giggles, watching her.

“Like everything you’d want and then much, much more,” she says, turning back to Stacie and giving her a roguish wink to which she nods at thoughtfully.

“I had a feeling she would be good in bed.”

It isn’t until they’re strolling hand in hand down the sidewalk on Chloe’s street and Chloe leans over while laughing at something Beca’s said to place a kiss on her jaw that the gravity of it all hits Beca. They can do that now. They can hold hands and hug for too long and kiss and kiss and kiss again all in public. 

It’s that knowledge that strikes Beca and makes her pull Chloe into the small alley beside them, firmly grabbing her waist and pushing her against the brick of an apartment building. She chuckles softly before melding their lips together, making Chloe whimper into her mouth at the sudden action. Beca knows the sounds of opening and closing camera shutters coming from several different directions are pointed towards their abrupt display but Chloe tastes like the pancakes they’ve just had and she smells like strawberries mixed with vanilla and she’s clenching Beca’s shirt in her hands and she’s smiling into the kiss because she knows, too, so Beca really doesn’t care about anything other than the body against hers and the person she’s holding who is very much a part of everything she lives for and, as cliche as it sounds, Beca is so in love with Chloe Beale that nothing else matters.

* * *

 

The next morning, they laugh together into their coffee mugs as they take turns reading the tabloids with their pictures in them, and when they arrive at the studio, they aren’t surprised in the least to find virtually every set and room strategically littered with the same pictures and articles.

After running lines with Stacie in her trailer, Chloe walks back to her own trailer to meet Beca and go home, absentmindedly flipping through her script on the way. Halfway to her home away from home, she feels someone fall into line beside her, casting a shadow over the pages. She looks up to see Tom looking back down at her, shooting her his best smile.

“Hey, Tommy Saw!” She greets him with a friendly grin of her own, watching how he winces at the nickname.

“You’re the only one I will  _ ever  _ allow to call me that,” he says, shaking his head. They share a laugh, and when it dies down, he’s quiet for a few seconds, face sullen. “So, you and Beca, huh?”

“Um, yeah. I mean, you honestly didn’t think anything was going on?” Chloe asks, chuckling a little and scratching the back of her neck - a nervous tick she picked up from Beca somewhere along the way. He shrugs, scuffing his feet on the pavement of the lot. Her laughter fades as she looks at him, lip curved in a sympathetic smile. “Look, I’m sorry, I mean… We just weren’t ready for anyone to know.”

“No, yeah, I understand. It’s all good.” The same smile is plastered back on his face very quickly, making her relax  _ some _ , but the way his eyes blatantly travel to her lips and stay there for much longer than necessary slightly unsettles her. As they get closer to her trailer, she frowns a bit when she doesn’t see Beca - she’s usually already been waiting ten minutes before Chloe shows up.

They had only communicated a handful of times, but Chloe quickly picked up on Tom’s obvious flirtations and advances. She tried to let him know that she wasn’t interested, but all attempts had been futile. Having not accepted “no” for an answer, it’s really his fault that he seems to be so distraught over the newly revealed relationship, but Chloe still doesn’t like possibly being the reason for someone’s unhappiness.

“So, we’re cool? No hard feelings?” She asks, eyeing him curiously as they stop just outside her door. He turns to face her, and her smile falters a bit. There’s something in his eyes that shouldn’t be there, something that throws her from the charm of his smile into uneasiness, knots twisting uncomfortably in her stomach.

“None at all.” The way he says it is too cold, and her brows furrow involuntarily as she reaches for the door handle, pulling it open.

“Okay, great, awesome. I’ll see you later, then?” She asks slowly, and it’s hard to know when exactly the space between them turned so unnerving. He doesn’t say anything, just follows her without invitation up her steps and into her trailer, closing the door behind him, and Chloe knows she should say something about it but she doesn’t think she can when all six feet and two inches of him is somewhat towering over her five feet and four inch form and the curl of his lip is  _ daring  _ her to say anything about this situation. He hasn’t really done  _ much  _ that should make her feel like this, like her sudden anxiety is going to choke her, but his demeanor is sending waves of discomfort crashing into the pit of her stomach.

“Um… Do you...want anything to drink?” She clears her throat, shuffling towards her fridge some, needing to create more space between them. He nods his head and just keeps  _ looking  _ at her, and his gaze is too intense, forcing her eyes to flit around the room nervously, never quite meeting his. It only makes his sneer grow wider, more smug.

She turns her back to him to face the fridge, and she immediately knows that that was the wrong move to make because she suddenly feels herself being pressed between the edge of the kitchen counter and the front of his body. His hands have hers in them, pressing them flat against the countertop and she can feel every inch of him against her back and her heart is in her ears and her mind is running at ninety miles an hour but she can’t even think to scream.

“Tom… Tom, you’re scaring me.” Tears sting her eyes as he just pushes her harder against the counter, the edge of it digging into her hips. “You’re hurting me, Tom.”

He grabs both of her hands in one of his, bringing the other to grab her chin roughly and turn her head where she can see him. He presses himself harder against her, and she squeezes her eyes shut. She knows she should be fighting but every limb is trapped and she can’t move.

“That bitch can’t give you what I can. She can’t make you feel things like I can.” At this point, tears are racing down her cheeks because she knows what’s going to happen, what he’s going to do, and she forces her mind to shut down. She doesn’t know when his hand got under her shirt, but all she feels is it running over her stomach and meeting the button of her jeans before she hears “You son of a bitch” and a loud  _ SMACK  _ and feels the heavy weight pressed against her back fall off of her. She looks down and sees Tom lying at her feet, and she jumps when she feels strong fingers grip her arms and turn her around before holding her face.

Her eyes meet Beca’s stormy ones, clouded with anger, fear, worry, and she watches them scan every part of her, taking her in, examining her state before it all catches up with her and she collapses into Beca’s arms, silent sobs racking her body.

* * *

 

The ride to Chloe’s apartment is quiet with the exception of the radio playing lowly, and Beca’s eyes keep flitting from the road to Chloe, trying to gauge where she’s at emotionally. She looks kind of tense, stiff, but okay, tapping her fingers on her knee along to the beat of the song on the radio, and Beca thinks she sees a small smile. A very small one. Maybe. She glances at her again, and when she does, Chloe’s already looking at her with a real small smile on her face that makes Beca exhale the breath she didn’t know she’d been keeping.

She looks back at the road and feels Chloe’s fingers trace her jaw, and she’s suddenly angry with herself because  _ she’s  _ the one who wants to cry and  _ why  _ is Chloe the one comforting  _ her _ . She covers the hand on her face with her own, and Chloe takes it and holds it in her lap, drawing patterns on her palm. Beca clears her throat and licks her lips and is going to say something, going to ask if she’s okay, but she can’t. She’s scared of what she’ll do if the answer is “no.” But Chloe knows, she always knows, so she does it for her.

“I’m okay, Becs.” And it’s true. She is okay. She’s shaken, no doubt, but the initial shock has worn off for the most part and she feels fine. If Tom had had a chance to go further, she wouldn’t be able to say that, wouldn’t be able to say anything about it, but Beca made sure that he didn’t have that chance. Tom scared the shit out of her, but he didn’t break her and she really just doesn’t want this to affect Beca or their relationship.

“Thank God you left that stupid frying pan out - my hand would be broken,” Beca says after a few seconds, but she gives Chloe a look that says that she would gladly and willingly break every bone in her body for her and Chloe knows they’ll be fine.

* * *

 

Absolutely nothing has changed between them, nothing is different, except for the fact that Beca hasn’t touched Chloe since that day, not without Chloe initiating contact first, and even then, it’s cautious, barely there touches that drive Chloe insane for both good and bad reasons. Every time Chloe tries to take it further than a heated make-out session, Beca stops them. Chloe knows that it’s not for a lack of desire on either parts and that something else is going on with Beca, but she never asks about it, waiting for Beca to come to her on her own.

Now she sees that’s obviously never going to happen.

It’s been two weeks. Two weeks without touching Beca, without  _ really  _ touching her and feeling her and kissing every inch of her skin and Chloe thinks she’s going to die because two weeks is a  _ ridiculously  _ long time without making love to Beca when they can usually barely go three days at  _ most _ .

They’ve decided to meet at Beca’s tonight for movie night, so Chloe throws on her best pair of yoga pants and her favorite hoodie and grabs a few DVDs she knows Beca enjoys before flipping the hood over her head, making sure it droops to cover the top half of her face and rushing to her car. She really hates paparazzi and avoids them at all cost unless Beca’s with her, in which case she may even have a decent conversation with them sometimes.

When she gets to Beca’s apartment door, she can hear her playing the piano, the smooth, fast-paced rhythm of Chopin’s Piano Sonata No.2 permeating the wood. Walking into the apartment, she’s greeted with one of her favorite sights - Beca sitting at the piano on the other side of her living room area with closed eyes and fingers working the keys magically, effortlessly. Chloe comes up behind her and touches her shoulder before wrapping her arms loosely around her neck, turning her head to place a kiss to her cheek and then to her temple, feeling and listening to how Beca smoothly transitions into the softer, slower part of the piece, not missing a beat.

“What’s on your mind?” Chloe murmurs against her temple before placing another kiss there and moving to sit beside her on the cushioned bench, her back to the piano.

“Hmm?” Beca hums as she continues the soft melody, glancing at Chloe. “What makes you think something is on my mind?” Chloe smiles knowingly, cocking an eyebrow slightly.

“You only play like that when something’s going on up there.” She waves a finger vaguely in front of Beca’s forehead, and she sees Beca’s jaw clench. A subtle change, but a change nonetheless. “Talk to me, Becs.”

Beca abruptly stops playing the piano altogether, hands coming down to lie flat against the seat of the bench. Chloe watches as she closes her eyes again and takes a deep breath before swallowing thickly. She turns her head to look at Chloe, and Chloe sees everything on her face, sees the anguish she’s been hiding.

“I am so sorry,” she says after a few seconds, voice cracking into a whisper. Chloe’s eyebrows knit together as she tries to figure out what she’s talking about, but Beca’s eyes have always said more than her words and as they stare into her own, pleading with her to understand, the realization hits her.

“Baby… You think it was your fault?” She asks, hand coming to rest on Beca’s knee.

“I should have been there.”

“But you -”

“I should have been there, Chloe. I’m always there. I’m  _ always  _ there before you. I chose that day of all days to stay behind a few minutes to talk to Jesse, I…” She trails off, and Beca never cries so Chloe doesn’t really know what to do when she sees tears roll down her cheeks. She stands up from the bench briefly, smoothly swinging a leg over to the other side and sitting back down to where she’s straddling it, facing Beca.

“Baby, you couldn’t have known,” she soothes, cupping Beca’s face in her hands and wiping the wetness away with the pads of her thumbs. “If not then, he would have done it at another time, anyway.” That seems to get through to Beca, and Chloe watches an odd combination of relief and anger flash across her features. She turns to face the piano again, breaths getting heavier, and her hands clench the edge of the bench.

“That bastard. If that son of a bitch had…” She stops when she feels Chloe’s lips on her cheek, on her jaw and hears her shushing her softly, soothingly. Beca’s eyes flutter closed as Chloe moves down her neck slowly, stopping at her shoulder. When she grips the bench tighter, Chloe knows that she’s trying not to touch her, and she understands why now. She sits back up and gently grabs Beca’s hand from the bench.

“You can touch me, Beca. I’m fine - he didn’t have a chance to do anything to me. Yeah, I was scared as hell, but I’m okay now. I feel perfectly fine.” She touches Beca’s face with her other hand, making her look at her. “You have nothing to feel guilty about. It was not your fault.”

She sees something change on Beca’s face then, sees her features soften and watches her eyes sweep over her face, making sure she means what she says, and it’s never really occurred to Chloe before now, how much they seem to constantly be reading each other. Beca moves the hand Chloe is holding to her face, stroking her cheek with her thumb, and Chloe almost collapses into the touch because  _ finally _ .

Beca leans in slowly, pressing kisses to her forehead, her nose, her cheek, her lips. She pulls away just enough to look in Chloe’s eyes briefly before kissing her again as her other hand comes to the other side of her face, holding her there. The kiss is firm but gentle, soft but sure, and when Chloe feels her tongue slide across her bottom lip, she immediately grants her access, letting a whimper slip out.

“I need you, Beca,” she murmurs, a breath against Beca’s lips. Beca slowly ends the kiss, moving back to really look at Chloe, hands coming to rest at her neck. Her brows furrow a bit, and she chews on her bottom lip, a question clearly on her face.

“But what if I… What if something...happens? Like, what if I do something, and it makes you think back to...you know, the thing with Tom?” Chloe can see the struggle on her face, the desire for her but the fear of doing anything wrong, and she’s suddenly reminded of their first night together. She remembers how they were both so cautious in the choices and the movements they made and how much they trusted each other, how much they’ve  _ always  _ inherently trusted each other.

“Nothing like that is going to happen. Nothing that you do could ever make me think of him. You’d never do anything that could hurt me. I trust you, Beca. I love you.” She pauses to brush a stray strand of hair from Beca’s face. “Baby, it’s been two weeks since I’ve made love to you, and I think I’m going to die if I don’t do it again soon.”

Beca closes her eyes at the words, tongue coming out to wet her lips. When she opens them again, they meet Chloe’s, and she sees how dark they are, knows they match her own. She stands up from the bench and walks around to the other side as Chloe swings her leg back over, and she offers her hands for Chloe to hold on to as she pulls her up.

Once Chloe’s standing, Beca’s hands immediately find her waist, and she pulls her closer to her, bodies melding together in a tight embrace. Beca holds her to herself, arms wrapped firmly around her, and she rests her forehead on her shoulder as Chloe’s hands run through her hair and over her shoulders.

“I love you, Chloe,” she says, turning her head slightly to press a kiss to Chloe’s neck. Beca brings her head back up, touching her forehead to Chloe’s before their lips meet again in a more urgent kiss, Chloe moaning into it as Beca’s hands move just under her hoodie. Beca backs them into her room, and they begin to undress each other, fingertips and lips caressing every inch of newly exposed flesh.

* * *

 

Making love to each other is not something they take lightly. They worship and make love to the whole body, the whole person, reaching the deepest parts of each other’s souls. It’s done with sure, gentle strokes and kisses, hitting every spot that one knows drives the other crazy, every place that hitches a breath, elicits a moan, a shiver, a whimper, a tremble. It’s done with murmured promises of pleasure, with whispered encouragements and truths of how amazing, how beautiful the other is. It’s done with nothing but the purest form of love coursing through every inch of their bodies.

Beca knows how to make Chloe’s blood turn to fire in her veins, knows how to make her lose control and make the most beautiful sounds and the dirtiest words fall from her mouth, sounding sweeter than they ever should, especially when her name is wrapped around them. She knows Chloe loves her lips all over her neck, sucking the pulsepoint beneath her jaw, loves them attached to her breasts, capturing the buds in her mouth, loves the way her teeth graze them gently. She knows Chloe loves her open-mouthed kisses down her ribcage, across her stomach, on the inside of her thighs, close but not close enough to where she really wants her, needs her. She knows Chloe loves the things she whispers in her ear as she brings her to the edge, loves when she looks up at her from between her legs. Beca loves doing those things, loves those things about her.

Chloe knows how to turn Beca into a writhing mess, knows how to make her say her name like it’s a prayer and one that should never be spoken in church. She knows Beca loves her lips on her earlobe, teeth nibbling gently, on the pulsepoint low on her neck, on her collarbone, between her breasts, loves the way her tongue glides across the skin there. She knows Beca loves her fingers brushing over the sensitive buds, down her stomach, over her thighs, barely touching the most sensitive part of her. She knows Beca loves friction, loves when she steadily builds up the pace. She knows Beca loves when they look in each other’s eyes as her climax crashes into her. Chloe loves doing those things, loves those things about her.

There’s nothing more beautiful to them than watching each other come undone beneath their touches. Nothing more beautiful than being the reason they each meet that utmost point of emotional, physical pleasure. Nothing more beautiful than getting to take the person that they love most in the world to that point. There’s nothing more beautiful to them than the love they feel for each other.

“Chloe?” Beca whispers into the back of her neck later that night, legs intertwined with Chloe’s and arm wrapped tightly around her stomach, fingers drawing smooth circles on her skin. Chloe hums softly in response, grabbing her hand and bringing it up to her chest, holding it under her chin. “Thank you.”

“For what, baby?” Chloe opens her eyes, brows furrowing.

“Does there need to be a reason?” Beca asks, nuzzling deeper into Chloe’s neck, breathing in her vanilla scent. She feels Chloe’s body shake slightly with quiet laughter, and she smiles into her skin, pressing a kiss there. After a few minutes, when their breaths match each other and they’re both about to drift off, she speaks again, voice heavy with sleep.

“For loving me as much as you do.”


	8. Chapter 8

 

There’s something incredibly intimate about knowing what someone’s handwriting looks like. Beca knows Chloe writes big, flowy letters that curl and loop themselves around her heart. There’s something incredibly intimate about knowing someone’s coffee order. Beca knows Chloe is simple when it comes to Starbucks, opting for the all too common grande white chocolate mocha with whipped cream, completely contradicting her all but common personality. 

There’s something incredibly intimate about being asked “What’s the thing that I like to get here?” and knowing the answer. Chloe knows Beca never remembers what that really good dish at Chloe’s favorite Italian restaurant is, so she always reminds her that “It’s the chicken tortellini, Becs” before they walk through the door, knowing she’ll ask her again when they’re about to order. There’s something incredibly intimate about knowing exactly who is walking up by the sounds of footsteps. Chloe knows Beca’s footsteps are the perfect combination of heavy and light, of quick and lazy, of deliberate and clumsy, somehow flawlessly reflecting everything else about her. 

There’s something incredibly intimate about knowing the little things that make up the differences between someone’s very expertly executed fake laugh and their real, genuine one. Beca knows Chloe’s real laugh is big, loud, bubbly, and the one she forces for other people when she’s tired or quietly annoyed is curt, short, choppy. Beca knows it fools everyone but her because that’s a laugh that Chloe seldom uses and never does in response to Beca. There’s something incredibly intimate about knowing someone’s nervous tics and habits and knowing exactly what to do to ease them. Chloe knows Beca scratches the back of her neck or twiddles her thumbs when she’s anxious or uncomfortable, and Chloe knows that all she has to do is poke Beca’s nose for calm to visibly wash over her, relaxing her whole body into a smile. 

There’s something incredibly intimate about being able to sit in a silence that’s completely comfortable and feel no pressure to communicate verbally at all. All that’s needed is the slight brush of Chloe’s fingers on Beca’s knuckles or the rhythm playing in Beca’s head being lightly tapped on Chloe’s knee. There’s something incredibly intimate about having a connection that only happens with one person. 

There’s something incredibly intimate about knowing someone so wholly that every inch of their being becomes a part of the other’s.

* * *

 

Life with Chloe is always easy. Life without Chloe is the complete opposite. Beca feels empty, lost, lonely when she’s not with Chloe. She is fiercely independent, but she feels like there’s not much reason or meaning behind anything she does if the person who knows, understands, and loves everything about her isn’t beside her as she’s doing it.

Which is why driving herself through Los Angeles traffic on a Friday night after another long day of endless, tiring interviews isn’t exactly how Beca wants to be spending her time. Especially when Friday nights are movie nights with Chloe and  _ especially  _ when said redhead has been sending her sad snapchats all day reminding her of that very fact. She’s just sent her one of herself sitting on her hardwood floor next to her enormous DVD collection with that stupidly cute pout on her face, and it really isn’t fair how Chloe can just make Beca want to kiss her so badly with one picture.

Beca has been in LA for four days doing a press junket for a new movie she’s starring in, and she’s never really spent this much time away from Chloe since she’s usually with her for, like, everything and it all just kind of sucks. She misses her - like, hole-in-her-chest kind of misses her - and she’s just praying for tomorrow to come quickly so she can be on the plane that’s headed for home.

Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down” is playing on the radio when the snapchat ends, so Beca sends her one back, a video of her singing along to “I’m missing you, missing you like crazy.” Two minutes later, the sound of Chloe’s ringtone on her phone is filling the car. Beca grins, immediately answering the call.

“Hello?”

“Come home,” Chloe whines into the phone, and Beca’s grin widens.

“I’m sorry, who is this?” She teases, and she can almost hear the glare that’s being sent her way. There’s silence for several seconds, and Beca has to roll her lips together to keep from laughing before Chloe speaks again.

“Sorry, wrong number,” she spits sarcastically, and when it’s evident that she’s hung up on her, Beca’s laughter is big and unrestrained. She inches forward some in the LA traffic and calls her back, still chuckling as Chloe lets the phone ring a few times before answering.

“You’re an ass,” is her greeting, making Beca’s laughter bubble back up. 

“Thank you for that, I really needed that to get me through this grueling traffic,” she chuckles into the mouthpiece, and she hears Chloe sigh. Her laughter dies down, and her smile softens. “How are you feeling? I know you’ve been kind of bleh for a few days.”

One thing about Chloe that Beca’s never really loved is how sick she gets sometimes. Not that she doesn’t love to take care of her, she adores that - eats it up, really - but when Chloe gets sick, she gets  _ sick  _ and Beca just hates to see her go through the pain she endures in that state. When they were younger, she was sick  _ all _ the time and had to have several surgeries to open up her sinuses being blocked by nasal polyps. So, being someone who suffers from chronic sinusitis, she goes through sinus infections a lot, and Beca’s learned how to tell when something is off pertaining to her well-being, even if it’s just a few sneezes because Beca knows how quickly those sneezes turn into sniffling and congestion and aching and a sore throat and migraines.

“I don’t know, I feel okay right now, I guess. I just took some NyQuil. This one is hitting hard and fast, though. Yesterday, I was just coughing some and today I can’t breathe and my throat is killing me.”

“I’m sorry, baby, I really wish I was there with you. I hate for you to be sick like that, especially when no one’s there.”

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault, Becs. Besides, Stacie and Cynthia-Rose came over earlier to check on me, and Aubrey came yesterday.”

“Did she bring Grayson and Avery?” Beca immediately asks, and the silence on the other end of the line is all the answer she needs. “Damn it! I miss those kids.”

“I wish you could have seen them, they were asking about you. Well, Grayson was. Avery still isn’t that great with words being seven months old and all. Oh, you should have seen it, Aubrey had her dressed in that cute little ‘I love my Aunt’ shirt you bought her,” Chloe chuckles, and Beca smiles at the sound. After a few seconds, Chloe speaks again softly. “Well, dang.”

“What?” Beca asks, confused.

“It’s kind of stupid that I miss you this much, isn’t it? Like, is the level of emptiness that I’m feeling right now normal or…?”

“Well, I don’t particularly think anything about you is exactly  _ normal _ but…” Beca replies, smirking as she listens to Chloe’s small chuckle. “Good news is, I’ll be back tomorrow night, so you can stop acting so pitiful.” She can just see the eyeroll Chloe’s giving her.

“Whatever, jerk, I know you miss me, too. No one can just use Sam Smith in a snapchat like that and not mean what they sing.” 

“I mean, I guess,” Beca appeases, smiling at Chloe’s reasoning.

“How’s LA treating you besides all the traffic?” Chloe asks, right on cue as Beca’s able to slowly inch the car forward some more.

“It’s pretty hot, but it’s nice, I enjoy it here. I’d enjoy it more if you were with me but, you know, whatever,” she says playfully, so Chloe knows she isn’t actually mad. “I don’t understand why you didn’t just take the offer and do the movie with me, Chlo. Then we wouldn’t have to be separated like this.”

“Oh, who’s the one whining now? Look, baby, I just don’t feel like jumping into a movie right now. I’m not a good multitasker like you are, I can’t juggle the show and a big role in a movie,” Chloe explains, and Beca nods, knowing she can’t see her.

“I know, I know. I just miss your face is all,” she says, and she hears what sounds like sheets rustling on the other end of the line. “You in bed?”

“Mmhmm,” Chloe hums, and Beca’s smile grows wider.

“You know, it’s not just your face that I miss…” She smirks, and she knows Chloe’s shaking her head.

“Beca…” Chloe warns, and Beca’s full-on grinning now.

“What are you wearing?” She asks cheekily, knowing the cliche question is earning her another eyeroll.

“Beca, I am not doing this, you perv.”

“Oh, come on, Red. Humor me.”

“You’re sitting in traffic, no,” Chloe offers as reason not to and sighs defeatedly when Beca hums the  _ Jeopardy  _ tune. “Fine, I’m just wearing one of your Beatles shirts and a pair of your boxer shorts. Nothing sexy about it.” Beca smiles, features softening at her response. Chloe wearing her clothes is something she’s never gotten used to seeing, and the image that springs to her mind brings forth all sorts of warm feelings.

“You’re beautiful, Chloe. And sexy and cute and adorable and -”

“Okay, okay,” Chloe cuts her off, chuckling. “Geez, Mitchell, stop trying so hard to get into my pants.”

“Well, they’re really my pants but…” Beca replies, and traffic suddenly starts to flow more smoothly. After just a few more minutes of talking, Beca is pulling up to the valet at her hotel, hopping out of the car, and tossing him the keys as she expertly rests the cell phone between her ear and shoulder and fishes out the fifty-dollar tip she’s given him every night from her pocket. She tucks it into his breast pocket and pats it with a smile and a wink before she focuses all of her attention back on her conversation with Chloe, catching the end of her recount of a set fiasco earlier in the week.

“- and then Stacie accidentally knocked it over, spilling  _ all  _ of the water out onto our whole set, and that was already like our twelfth take. We literally could not get this scene, Beca, you should have seen it.” Beca laughs, seeing the whole ordeal in her head.

“Did anyone get hurt this time?”

“No, unfortunately,” Chloe chuckles, and Beca disapprovingly shakes her head.

“Damn, that’s too bad,” she says sincerely before laughing along with Chloe. Luckily, most of the people taking up temporary residence in this hotel are celebrities as well, so she’s not really bombarded by anyone as she makes her way to her room. Once there, she slides the keycard in, walks inside, and sets her bag on the table beside her bed. “Hey, I should probably go. I’m in my room now, and I’m going to get a shower and get ready for bed. And you need to get to sleep, too, it’s really late there.”

“Beca, you’ve kept me up later than this and didn’t seem to worry about my sleep then.”

“I’m sorry, is that you complaining?”

“Of course not, dearest,” Chloe answers sweetly, and Beca laughs again, sitting down on the edge of her bed. They’re quiet for a few seconds before Chloe speaks quietly. “Alright, I’ll let you go then. I’ll see you tomorrow, baby.”

“I’m counting the moments,” Beca says, voice lilting sarcastically even though she almost nearly means it. “Bye, Red. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

* * *

 

8:23 p.m. is Beca’s estimated arrival time in New York City, and it can not come quickly enough. The whole process of actually getting to the terminal and onto the plane seemed to take longer than usual, but the actual ride is just downright  _ slow _ . Beca’s pretty sure the plane isn’t even moving, and it certainly doesn’t help that all of her thoughts are on Chloe and seeing her again, making the plane ride seem that much slower.

When the plane finally does land, it’s 8:47 which basically solidifies Beca’s theory and confirms that they did, in fact, spend a fair amount of time just suspended in the air with no forward movement whatsoever. She pulls her phone out of her pocket as she makes her way to the baggage claim, shooting Chloe a quick text telling her that she’s just landed and she’ll see her soon. After settling herself and her luggage into a taxi, she gives the driver Chloe’s address and waits as he maneuvers them through the many streets of New York to the apartment building, tapping an anxious rhythm on her thigh the whole time.

He helps her remove her luggage, and she all but sprints into the building once she has everything in tow. When she reaches Chloe’s door, she twists the nob, and, finding it unlocked, walks inside. The only light on is the lamp on the end table by the couch, and, not seeing Chloe anywhere, Beca quietly calls out for her, placing her bags by the kitchen table.

She walks closer to the living room area and is about to call out again when she stops, seeing Chloe’s curled up form fast asleep on the couch. Beca smiles warmly and slowly tiptoes to the front of the couch before carefully removing the blanket draped over the back and gently laying it over Chloe, making sure her feet are covered because they always get so cold. After the blanket is covering all the right places and seeing that she looks comfortable, Beca softly sits down on the edge of the coffee table, taking in the sight.

She’s missed her. It’s only been five days, but those were some of the longest days of her life without Chloe beside her, and seeing her now is like breathing again after five days underwater. She’s missed the sound of her breaths next to her when they’re falling asleep and the feel of her pulse when she runs her fingers over her wrist or her lips over her neck. She’s missed the way her eyes look into her own and know every part of her and the way she licks her lips before she speaks. She’s missed how her eyebrows adorably furrow when she’s reading and she’s just missed  _ her _ .

Beca slowly reaches a hand out and gently traces just beneath Chloe’s hairline, stopping at her temple. She can feel the slight, steady throb there that’s stronger than usual and knows she’s suffering a migraine, but she resists the urge to massage it, not wanting to wake her. She continues to trace the same line, occasionally moving down her cheek lightly, watching the way her facial expressions change ever so slightly with each touch.

Beca honestly thinks she’ll die if she doesn’t hold her soon. Luckily, Chloe is already as far back on the couch as she can be, her back pressed against the back cushions, and Beca knows they can both fit on the rather large piece of furniture because they’ve laid down together on it before, so she slowly and gently lowers herself onto it, facing Chloe, careful not to bump too much into her as she does so. Once she’s settled, there’s still maybe two inches of couch left behind her, but it’s not like she’ll need them when her arms are wrapped securely around Chloe.

Content to just be with her, Beca presses her lips to Chloe’s forehead before she hears her make an unintelligible noise at all the movement and instantly stills, but she smiles when she feels Chloe burrow her head further into her neck, fingers clenching her shirt lightly.

* * *

 

The next morning, Beca’s sitting at the kitchen table reading the local newspaper and sipping coffee from a mug as she waits for Chloe, who’s still curled up on the couch, to wake up. Chloe likes to eat potatoes when she’s sick - like big, loaded baked potatoes from delis, even though she can only eat about five bites before she loses her appetite again - so Beca got up earlier to go get one from Chloe’s favorite place down the street. She has it sitting in its to-go box, still hot and fresh, on the table at Chloe’s seat because it’s already mid-morning and almost lunchtime, so she knows Chloe will be waking up shortly, probably a little hungry.

After several more minutes, Beca hears a small commotion from the living room area and turns just in time to see Chloe poke her head up to peer at Beca over the armrest of the couch, an adorably sleepy, dazed look on her face, and Beca really can’t help the grin that spreads or the flutter in her stomach. Those eyes. God, did she miss those eyes. In sickness, they’re a bit duller than usual but still bright and blue enough to make the sky envious, and Beca’s breath hitches as they widen with recognition.

With more speed and agility than a person in Chloe’s state of health should be capable of, she kicks the blanket off of her and swings her legs over, rising quickly to make her way to the kitchen. She already has her arms reaching out, and Beca pushes her chair out from underneath the table and stands, ready to embrace her. 

The hug is like a soft attack - tender but firm enough to force Beca back some as Chloe’s arms wind around her neck. She laughs at the small squeal Chloe lets out, arms coming to wrap tightly around Chloe’s waist, and Beca buries her face in her neck, kissing the skin there and breathing in as much of her as she can. 

“You’re here,” Chloe murmurs into her shoulder, and Beca involuntarily holds her tighter at the sound of her raspy voice.

“I’m here,”  Beca whispers back before pulling away slightly to look at Chloe, one hand coming up to frame her face. She takes in her disheveled bedhead and lazy smile, and she traces her fingertips down her cheek to her neck, eyes following the path her fingers take. “You look really pretty.” Chloe bites her lip, and her eyes flick to Beca’s lips before she rolls them good-naturedly.

“Always a charmer,” she says, licking her lips when she looks back at Beca, watching her follow the movement. Beca brings her other hand up to cup the other side of Chloe’s face and she slowly leans in, watching Chloe’s eyes flutter shut. She stops right before their lips connect and hovers there, smirking as Chloe tries to finish the job for her, surging forward ever so slightly to reach her lips. Beca pulls back, smirk growing wider as Chloe sighs, her eyes never opening. “If you don’t kiss me, I swe-”

Before she gets a chance to finish the sentence, Beca isn’t able to hold back anymore, cutting her off with a kiss. Chloe’s hands move to Beca’s waist, fisting her shirt and pulling her body closer to hers. Beca turns them to push Chloe against the wall, sliding her tongue over her lips and into her mouth when she gasps, and she presses her whole body against Chloe’s as the kiss deepens, rolling her hips into hers and moaning into Chloe’s mouth at the contact. Her teeth tug on Chloe’s bottom lip, eliciting a small whimper, when Chloe’s hands move under her shirt, ghosting over her ribcage, and Beca has to pull back slightly, catching her breath.

“I’ve missed you,” she murmurs against Chloe’s mouth before moving her lips to place a lingering kiss on her cheek. Chloe hums in agreement, pulling her body even closer as if it were possible, both sets of eyes still closed. They stay like that, held against each other, for a few more seconds before Beca pulls back and speaks again. “Are you hungry? You’ve got a potato waiting for you.” Chloe’s eyes flicker open to meet Beca’s, and her face softens even more as she looks at her. 

“You got me a potato?” She asks, pleasant surprise evident in her voice. Beca smiles, twirling a strand of red hair around her finger.

“Well...yeah. I mean, I figured you’d be hungry so I just got up this morning and got one, no big deal, Red.” Chloe smiles before brows furrow for a second, and a realization seems to hit her.

“Did you sleep with me on the couch last night?” She asks, and Beca chuckles lightly.

“Yeah, you were out cold when I got here.” Chloe laughs and shakes her head slightly.

“I thought I dreamed that,” she says, chuckling. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stay awake. I really wanted to, but a pretty nasty migraine was working hard on me.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it, I know you aren’t feeling that great. I was happy just being able to see you again,” Beca soothes, moving and taking Chloe’s hand to lead her to her seat at the kitchen table. She pulls the chair out for her and pushes it back in as Chloe sits down and retrieves a fork from the utensil drawer, placing it in Chloe’s hand and flipping the to-go box lid up to reveal a beautiful, fluffy, potato, loaded with everything from sour cream to green onions to shredded cheese. “Viola!”

Chloe wastes no time in digging in, scooping up a forkful and shoving it into her mouth, moaning at the taste and mumbling something about heaven. Beca chuckles at the redhead and leans down to kiss her temple before moving to pour Chloe a glass of water.

* * *

 

Later that evening, Chloe’s migraine returns full force, and Beca lies down on the bed with her, keeping warm rags on her forehead to ease the pressure. She’s just replaced one rag with a new one, fresh and hot from just being held under warm water.

“I think I’m dying,” Chloe mumbles, sounding groggy and stuffed up, and Beca gives her a sympathetic smile.

“Do you think if you turn on your side, it wouldn’t hurt too much, and I could massage your temple?” Beca asks, face etched with concern and voice low, careful not to disturb Chloe’s heightened senses. Chloe just gives a small nod, turning slowly to face Beca, automatically moving closer to her and reaching for her shirt. Beca adjusts the warm rag that’s fallen some from the movement before her fingertips lightly brush Chloe’s temple.

She leans forward to kiss her forehead beneath the rag and leaves her lips there as she slowly starts to rub tender, soothing circles into Chloe’s temple, steadily building up pressure the more Chloe relaxes into her. Beca hears Chloe murmur “Love” before her breaths even out, and Beca knows she’s asleep.

“Love,” Beca whispers back, still massaging her head, and it isn’t long before the continuous action and the sound of Chloe’s relaxed breathing lulls her to sleep herself.

* * *

 

When Beca wakes up, Chloe is already awake and looking at her, that same morning smile that Beca’s so familiar with now on her face. She lazily reaches up to lightly poke Chloe’s nose like she does to Beca all the time, and Chloe grins at the gesture, catching the hand in her own and bringing it to her lips.

Chloe thinks it’s kind of ridiculous, really, that they haven’t officially moved in together when Beca is at her apartment more than she’s at her own one and when this is what she wants to wake up to every single morning and what she wants to come home to every single evening. And maybe it’s the sinus infection clouding her mind, maybe it’s the fact that she’s only been awake for five minutes, but the idea of them moving in together sounds like everything along the lines of “right” and “perfect” and “it’s stupid that we’ve waited this long.” So, there’s no hesitation when Chloe asks Beca to (or tells her to), right there, in her bed, at 8:17 a.m.

“Move in with me,” she says softly, surely, all grins and bright eyes. But, Beca’s lazy smile kind of falters a bit and a small surge of panic races through Chloe’s veins, making her backtrack instantly. “I mean, unless, of course, you don’t want to, like if you think it’s too soon or something, I totally get it, it’s just that I thought maybe since we’ve been together almost a year and you’re over here all the time anyway and we’ve basically lived together since we were kids but yeah I totally get that this is a big step I just -” 

Beca’s laugh cuts off her rambling, bringing her back in as Beca gently squeezes her side.

“Damn it, Beale,” Beca says between chuckles, bringing her hand up to stroke Chloe’s cheek. “I had, like, this whole extravagant date and speech planned out for when I was going to ask if you wanted to move in together - which was going to be, like, tomorrow - because I was nervous as hell, and you’re just able to come right out and say it. How is that fair, dude?” Chloe relaxes again, laughing along with Beca because  _ of course  _ Beca would try to be romantic and sweet when asking her to take that next step with her.

“So?” Chloe asks expectantly as she scoots closer to Beca and wraps her arms around her waist, pecking her nose.

“Well, seeing as how the majority of my things are already here, and all that’s really missing is my piano…” Beca pauses, pretending to think about her answer. “No, I think I’ll just stay in my own apartment.”

The glare she receives is quite impressive, and Beca gives herself a pat on the back for teaching Chloe to give a look that menacing before laughing heartily and pressing her lips to Chloe’s forehead.

“Of course, I would love to move in with you,” she murmurs against her skin and Chloe smiles, nuzzling into Beca’s neck. Beca smirks then, an idea popping to mind. “Wanna christen the apartment?” Chloe snorts, and Beca knows she’s rolling her eyes.

“Beca, the apartment isn’t new, and you haven’t even moved in yet.” Beca sighs exasperatedly, pulling away to look at Chloe.

“ _ Why _ do you have to be so technical when it comes to sex?”

“Well, you seem to like the technicalities of sex,” Chloe smirks, biting her lip and shoving her thigh between Beca’s legs, and it all makes Beca gulp.

“I changed my mind, I don’t really think I’ll survive living with you when you do things like that,” she says, and Chloe’s smirk widens. She dips down to place sensual kisses along Beca’s throat and slowly rolls her hips into Beca’s, sucking gently on her pulse point and making her moan as her tongue slips out to caress a spot she’s nipped at. “I changed my mind again…”


	9. Chapter 9

******** “Honey, I’m home!” It’s been two weeks since they’ve moved in together, and Beca still says that every time she comes through the door. Chloe still isn’t tired of it. She looks over at Beca from her place in front of the stove, smiling at her as she slowly stirs noodles in a pot. 

“I don’t think that will ever get old,” she says, glancing at the pot to put the lid back in its place before turning around completely and leaning back against the counter, hands braced on the edge. She watches with the same smile on her face as Beca places groceries on the kitchen table, pulling out the sauces and spices Chloe had asked her to buy. “Thank you for those.”

Beca smiles at her in return, looking up and crinkling her nose. After she’s gathered all of the necessary items, she brings them to the counter beside Chloe and the pot before turning her full attention on to Chloe, seeing that she’s in nothing but her underwear and one of Beca’s shirts, her hair flowing over her shoulders in red waves.

“What are you doing?” Beca asks suspiciously with furrowed brows, standing up straighter and fully taking in and appreciating Chloe’s appearance. Chloe’s expression mirrors hers when they make eye contact, her lips turning up at the corners.

“I’m cooking us dinner?” She replies uncertainly, watching as Beca moves to stand in front of her, her cobalt blue eyes turning softer the closer she gets. Beca stops close to her, and her hand comes up to play with the top button of Chloe’s shirt, her own eyes following the movement as Chloe’s stay on her face, a happily bemused smile in place. Chloe wants nothing more than to reach out and touch Beca in this moment, but she waits to see what the brunette will do first.

“You know what seeing you in my clothes does to me,” Beca says quietly, nearly a whisper, and Chloe chuckles softly.

“Oh, I do?” She asks, and Beca lifts her head up to look at Chloe, smiling softly and humming in the affirmative. Her fingers effortlessly pop the button undone, and Chloe’s eyebrows shoot skyward.

“Beca, I’m in the middle of cooking,” Chloe tries to reason, even though she doesn’t really want to do much reasoning. They’re both doing different things at the studio right now which has caused them to not see each other much at work, especially today. Beca left before Chloe did this morning, and she’s just now getting home after Chloe’s been home for about two hours and it’s hard to go a day without seeing each other after you’ve spent practically every moment for two weeks at each other’s sides.

“Mmhmm,” Beca hums again, hands trailing down Chloe’s sides before resting on her waist for a second. She looks back down to see what she’s doing before moving her hands under Chloe’s shirt to grip her hips, fingers digging softly into flesh, thumbs rubbing circles above her underwear as Chloe’s breath hitches slightly. She pulls Chloe’s hips against her while leaning closer into Chloe to where Chloe can feel almost all of her body against hers, and sky blue eyes involuntarily flutter shut at the contact that makes her weak time and time again. The feel of her, the smell of her, everything about Beca is driving Chloe crazy, and she hasn’t even been home five minutes. 

Chloe can feel how close Beca’s face gets to hers, can feel her breath ghosting over her lips, can smell the mintyness of her gum, and it’s all too intoxicating. Beca’s grip tightens slightly, and her lips capture Chloe’s in a kiss that makes Chloe’s heart drop to her stomach in the most pleasurable way imaginable. Chloe’s hands immediately leave their spot on the counter to find Beca’s face, cradling it as her thumbs stroke her cheeks and jawbone. 

Beca’s tongue traces Chloe’s lip, making Chloe sigh into the kiss and open up to her. Beca licks deep into Chloe’s mouth and pulls Chloe’s hips closer into her own, earning from Chloe a low moan. She bites Chloe’s bottom lip gently, tugging on it before kissing it again to soothe it. 

“So beautiful,” Beca murmurs, trailing her lips to Chloe’s jaw. She drags them down to her pulsepoint while Chloe’s hands tangle in chocolate tresses, holding her close. Beca sucks gently, feeling Chloe’s heartbeat and the vibration of her moan on her lips, hips rolling smoothly into Chloe’s. Chloe’s sharp gasp makes Beca smirk into her skin. “You’re killing me, Red.”

Chloe tries to respond, but she kind of can’t when Beca’s lips are steadily moving lower and she’s sucking on parts of her collarbone and on the skin just above her breasts where the top button’s been undone. She opens her mouth, and more moans are the only things that come out. And it should really be embarrassing, how easily Beca can get her to this state, how easily she can make Chloe want to rip all of her clothes off, but Beca is just so damn good at it that she really doesn’t care.

Beca moves back up Chloe’s neck and to her lips, giving her one last kiss before pulling back to look at Chloe. Her eyes are still closed, face flushed, and lips swollen, and Beca will never get tired of that sight. She smiles softly, leaning back in to kiss her forehead as her hand comes up to cup Chloe’s cheek.

“The pot’s boiling over,” she murmurs against her forehead, before pushing away from Chloe and the counter altogether. Chloe’s eyes fly open, and she swiftly turns to face the pot, turning the stove off and removing the lid, listening to Beca’s quiet laughs as she does so.

* * *

 

Later that night, Chloe is lying on the couch reading a magazine as Beca cleans up the kitchen, Frank Sinatra softly crooning Christmas songs through the stereo. She’s reading with mild disinterest until she comes across an article saying something about her breakup with Beca and about how Beca has moved on to Trish, a Victoria’s Secret model.

“Hey, baby?” Chloe calls out to Beca, biting back her laughter.

“Yeah?” Beca answers from where she’s wiping off the counter.

“I’m really glad we’re still on good terms.” She hears Beca stop what she’s doing, and she can’t help but smile wider.

“What are you talking about?” Chloe chuckles at the question and ignores it.

“You should have invited Trish over for dinner tonight,” she says, and she can just see the crease in Beca’s forehead that’s sure to be making an appearance now.

“Chloe. We don’t know a Trish, babe,” Beca says slowly, like she’s talking to a child.

“Oh, well according to this article, you’re dating a Victoria’s Secret model named Trish, so…” Chloe hears Beca quickly shuffle to the couch before leaning over the arm where Chloe’s head is resting to peer at the magazine. 

“No way,” Beca says incredulously, taking the magazine from Chloe’s hands in order to read it better. Chloe laughs at her, sitting up on the couch as she watches Beca walk around the coffee table.

“Yeah, apparently we had a pretty nasty breakup. I caught you with Trish in your trailer at work, and you two are very happy together now that I’m out of the picture,” she explains, scooting over to make room for Beca on the couch, but Beca doesn’t sit down. She looks up from the magazine with her eyebrows knit together, and Chloe sees the worry on her face.

“Do people actually believe this stuff?” Beca asks, waving the magazine around noncommittally.

“Well, so what if they do? We know it isn’t true,” Chloe says. smiling at her before standing up from the couch.

“Well, yeah, but I don’t…” Beca sighs, putting the magazine down on the coffee table as her other hand comes up to scratch the back of her neck. “I don’t want people to think that I would actually do something like that to you.”

Chloe’s smile is softer as she looks at Beca now, walking slowly towards her and grasping her hands gently in her own.

“Baby, I’m pretty sure no one believes that,” she says, pulling Beca closer to herself. “Our fans know that we’re still together, we’re always tweeting each other and posting pictures of each other on Instagram. Becs, we even have public snapchats that are 90% snaps of the other person, people know how much you love me.”

Beca smiles at her then, pleased with her reasoning. Chloe leans in to kiss her nose as Beca squeezes her hands.

“Do you know how much I love you?” Beca asks, licking her lips and taking her hands from Chloe’s to move them to her waist and pull her closer.

“Hmmm,” Chloe hums, wrapping her arms around Beca’s neck and placing her head on her shoulder before she begins to sway slowly to Frank’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Beca’s arms more fully encircle Chloe’s waist, holding her as close to her as she can as they dance smoothly to the song, the glowing fireplace and candles scattered around the apartment making everything seem like a scene from a movie. “When did you know?”

Beca’s brows furrow slightly, and her fingers draw random patterns into the fabric of Chloe’s t-shirt.

“Know what?” She asks quietly, not breaking the peaceful moment between them. 

“Know that you loved me,” Chloe clarifies, one of her hands playing with the hair at the nape of Beca’s neck as they continue swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the music. Beca turns her head to place a kiss to Chloe’s neck, resting her lips there.

“I honestly don’t know if I can pinpoint an exact moment,” she murmurs against her skin, fingertips trailing up and down Chloe’s spine. “I can remember always feeling something for you, but the moment that I absolutely knew what it was...was probably when I was sixteen and Dad died. You were the only person I wanted to be with, and that was why.”

Chloe lifts her head up from Beca’s shoulder to look at her. She smiles at her, hands still playing with her hair. 

“You kept it to yourself for that long?” She asks, one hand coming around to trace a finger over her jawbone.

“Well, yeah, I mean, it’s hard to deal with. Falling for your very best friend like that,” Beca says, smiling and turning her head slightly to kiss the hand on her face. “When did you know?”

Some of the light in Chloe’s eyes goes out at the question, her smile faltering a bit. Beca’s happy demeanor and expression quickly shifts to one of concern.

“What is it?” Chloe’s smile returns, but it’s a little sadder this time.

“It’s nothing, I just...I knew that day at the, um...with the car,” she clears her throat, eyes finally coming back up to look at Beca’s face as realization spreads across her features.

“Oh. Yeah,” she says, laughing lightly, humorlessly. Chloe sighs, both of her hands cupping Beca’s face so she looks at her. “Don’t you ever do something like that again.”

“I can’t promise you that, Chlo. Not if it’s going to save your life.”

Chloe sighs again, resting her head back on Beca’s shoulder. Beca dips her head down to kiss Chloe’s shoulder, trailing kisses across her freckled skin from there to her neck.

“You’re impossible, Mitchell.”

“At least it got you to love me.”

“That did  _ not  _ get me to love you,” Chloe says, lifting her head up again from Beca’s shoulder. “I already loved you, and that just helped me to put a name to what I was feeling.”

“Okay, okay,” Beca appeases, smiling sweetly at her and pushing her head back down to her shoulder. “Shhh.”

Chloe laughs quietly before falling silent for a few more seconds as they continue to dance and sway to the soft music.

“I waited for you to wake up for seventeen days,” Chloe says after a while, and Beca can hear the shakiness of her voice, making her hold her tighter. “I didn’t know if you ever would.”

Beca’s eyes flutter shut as the memory of that day comes back to her.

_ “Chlo, what flavor ice cream do you want? No, wait, I know. Mint chocolate chip, right?” An almost eighteen year old Beca gives the man at the ice cream stand a ten dollar bill to cover both of their treats. “Two scoops for each, please.” _

_ It’s a hot day in Atlanta, Georgia - the kind where you can practically see the heat waves rolling off of the concrete. But, today is special. It’s Chloe’s sixteenth birthday. Beca could be dying of a heat stroke, and she still wouldn’t care because on this day sixteen years ago, the greatest thing that’s ever happened to her was born. _

_ Beca hears Chloe laugh behind her before she comes to stand right beside her, resting her elbow on Beca’s shoulder. _

_ “You know me so well, Becs.” Beca grins at the familiar nickname. It’ll probably never not give her butterflies whenever Chloe says it. Beca shrugs and takes the ice cream cones that the man is offering to her, frowning slightly when Chloe’s arm falls off of her but recovering in time to give the man her brightest smile. _

_ “For you, m’lady,” Beca says, bowing and holding Chloe’s cone out for her to take. _

_ “Why, thank you, good madam,” Chloe returns, curtsying gracefully. Beca winks at her as they straighten up, holding her arm out for Chloe to loop hers through.  _

_ They stroll down the sidewalk arm in arm, enjoying window shopping as they pass the various downtown stores, Beca promising Chloe anything she could ever want. _

_ “Anything?” _

_ “Anything, Red. You only turn sixteen once, live it up,” Beca affirms, finishing the last bit of her ice cream cone and tossing their napkins into the trash can as they walk by. _

_ “Well, in that case…” Chloe says slowly, eyeing Beca who looks back at her suspiciously. “I want a small townhouse in New York City where I’ll work as an actress if my plan to be a doctor doesn’t work out. One that I can keep a small dog in. One with daisies that never die in vases strategically placed around every room. And I want a fireplace for the New York winters. And I want you there, right by my side.” _

_ Beca’s smile grows wider at the last part, her stomach flipping not so uncomfortably. She shrugs again, glancing at Chloe. _

_ “Fine, I guess, if that’s what you want,” she says casually, already thinking about how she could make that happen. Chloe grins and crinkles her nose up at her, and they walk for a bit more in relative silence, each throwing in a comment here and there about something they see in the windows of the shops. After a while, Chloe catches a glimpse of the bookstore across the street and tugs on Beca’s arm. _

_ “Oh, Beca, please, can we go?” She asks, giving Beca her best puppydog eyes. _

_ “Only because it’s your birthday,” Beca agrees, smirking and giving Chloe a wink. _

_ “Oh, whatever, like you wouldn’t do it for me anyway,” Chloe says, rolling her eyes goodnaturedly. _

_ “I guess you have a point.” _

_ Chloe lets out a small squeal and hurries to the crosswalk, leaving Beca behind a few feet. Seeing that the little walking man is flashing and that it’s safe to cross, she moves forward, a quarter of the way across the street, but she holds back when she realizes that Beca isn’t beside her. Turning around, she motions for Beca to come towards her. _

_ “Come on, slowpoke, I’m not getting any younger,” she laughs as Beca rolls her eyes and watches as she slowly makes her way to where Chloe is. _

_ “Alright, alright, geez,” Beca says, doing her best to seem disinterested.  _

_ They get so caught up and distracted by their conversation and laughter that they don’t notice the car that’s headed for Chloe until it’s almost too late. Once Beca finally hears it, everything happens at once. Chloe freezes, and Beca runs. Her feet carry her faster than she thinks is possible, her hands roughly shove Chloe’s shoulders, pushing her out of the way, and she feels the slam of her body against the fender of the car, feels herself roll over the windshield, across the top of the car and down to the trunk, finally landing with a hard smack to the ground. The only thing she really registers during it all are the sounds of her bones cracking and of Chloe’s screams. _

“Seven broken ribs. Another three badly bruised. A broken arm. A broken leg. A severe concussion. Internal bleeding,” Chloe recounts, voice shakier. They’ve never really talked about the accident, so every emotion Chloe feels is involuntarily coming to the surface after being pushed down for so long. Beca pulls back from her, looking Chloe in the eyes and seeing the brightness of unshed tears there as she remembers that day and the seventeen days following. Seventeen days of not knowing whether her very best friend would wake up, whether she ever would get to talk to the person she loves most in the world again.

“It was worth it, though,” Beca says, wiping the few tears that escaped off of Chloe’s cheeks with the pads of her thumbs. “You’re still here.”

“I wouldn’t want to be if you weren’t,” Chloe sighs, rubbing her hands up and down Beca’s arms. Beca smiles softly at her, fingertips tracing her jaw. Chloe laughs a little and leans into the warm touch, sniffling some. “Damn near ruined my birthday for me.”

Beca laughs lightly, leaning in to kiss her forehead, her cheek, her nose.

“I’d do it again. I’d do it a thousand times,” she says, lips mere centimeters from Chloe’s.

“I know you would,” Chloe exhales before closing the little bit of distance, melding their lips together. The kiss is sweet, gentle, tender. Beca’s hands curve around Chloe’s neck, thumbs resting on her jawline, stroking the skin there soothingly as Chloe grips Beca’s shirt in her hands, pulling her flush against her, and Frank steadily plays in the background. 

At least Chloe got what she wanted for her birthday those few years ago - a New York home, a job as an actress, and Beca right by her side.

 


	10. Chapter 10

****Being the romantic that she is, Beca has had every detail of this day planned out for weeks because this day is Chloe’s birthday which makes today Beca’s favorite holiday which also makes today pretty much what she lives for. Beca is already awake and ready for the day at 6:00 a.m. dressed in comfy jeans and a sweater, light green in color.

There’s something to the serenity and quiet of an early morning that Beca really enjoys but won’t fully admit to herself that she does. Leaning over the kitchen counter, forearms resting against the cool granite, Beca looks down at the steaming mug of coffee held in her two hands, enjoying the warmth it spreads through her palms before swirling it gently and raising it up to her mouth to sip slowly, in turn enjoying the warmth it spreads through her chest. She can remember when Chloe would spend the night at her house almost every weekend when they were kids, and every morning, without fail, her mother would wake them up with bacon and eggs and toast, the comicstrip from the newspaper, and a fresh pot of Italian roast coffee. The memories alone are enough to make Beca feel warm.

Deeming the beverage appropriately sweetened, she places it back on the counter, hands still encircling it, and she looks around the living room area of their apartment, dimly lit by the lamp on the end table beside the sofa. Her eyes sweep over her piano and record player in one corner and Chloe’s basket of sewing material beside the shelves the redhead has filled with books over the years in another corner, and she takes in the visible merging of two people into one as she looks around, seeing her own book beside the lamp where she knows Chloe has set it after reading a few chapters from it earlier and seeing Chloe’s sheet music from various Broadway shows on Beca’s piano from when Beca was trying to learn the songs a few days ago. She and Chloe have gone from spending nights together as children to living together as adults, from best friends to lovers, and so what if this is the fourteenth birthday of Chloe’s that the girls will spend with each other and she’s a little misty-eyed? She’s still a badass.

Beca smiles to herself and turns to retrieve pots and pans from the cabinet, starting on their bacon, eggs, and toast. Once the bacon is crackling and sizzling moderately in one pan, she grabs the comicstrip from the kitchen table and reads from it while the smell of Italian roast coffee fills the air.

* * *

 

Beca knows she’s done everything right when Chloe starts to cry.

“It’s just like when we were kids,” Chloe manages through her sniffles and watery eyes, making crying look impossibly cute in her pink bunny pajamas. Beca grins and moves closer to Chloe, taking her hand and pulling her into her arms gently.

“Some things never change,” Beca says before capturing Chloe’s lips in a sweet kiss. Chloe hums and pulls back slightly.

“I’m glad some things do,” she says quietly, leaning in to kiss Beca again. She brings her arms up to circle around Beca’s neck, fingers running through brown tresses. Beca’s fingertips skate down Chloe’s sides and around her waist, the featherlight touches making Chloe sigh into her mouth.

“Happy birthday, baby,” Beca murmurs against Chloe’s lips, smirking slightly before giving her one last kiss and moving away. Chloe gives a show of pouting but it’s quickly overcome by a grin when she sees the plate of food waiting for her at the kitchen table, resting atop the comics. She sits and waits to eat as Beca prepares her own plate. Once seated, Beca looks across the small table at Chloe to see her already looking back, and she smiles softly before winking and starting in on her plate. Taking a bite of her eggs, Chloe lets out a moan of appreciation and hears Beca chuckle softly.

“It’s just eggs, Chlo,” Beca says, taking a sip of coffee.

“But it’s my birthday, so moaning is appropriate for all things at all times of the day,” Chloe says like it’s common knowledge, taking another bite of her eggs and moaning louder.

“I’m pretty sure that’s something you live by everyday, not just today,” Beca replies, watching as Chloe bites off a piece of bacon, moaning even louder, and like, yeah, Chloe’s not doing it seriously and Beca is trying to play it off and laugh about it but come on, she can’t act like it’s not affecting her. Chloe’s _moaning_. That’s not exactly something Beca can just ignore.

Chloe knows that. Moaning again, she eyes Beca and watches the brunette gulp and clear her throat, taking her seventh sip of coffee in the last thirty seconds. Chloe chuckles a little and Beca’s eyes shoot to hers.

“Well, dammit, Chlo, you can’t just moan like that at the breakfast table,” Beca exclaims dramatically and Chloe’s chuckle bubbles into full laughter over her plate as she reaches her hand across to patronizingly rub Beca’s arm.

“You’ll hear plenty tonight, don’t worry about it,” she promises, and Beca smiles softly, catching Chloe’s hand in her own and bringing it to her lips. The action softens Chloe’s features as she looks at Beca. “I love you.”

Beca smiles against her hand, flipping it to place a kiss to her palm and to each fingertip before holding it against her cheek. “I love you, Chlo.”

* * *

 

That evening, Chloe and Beca are getting ready to meet Luke and Aubrey and their kids for Chloe’s birthday dinner. As Chloe is brushing her teeth, she glances at Beca in the mirror and leans over, placing an open-mouthed kiss on Beca’s cheek where the brunette has just applied blush.

“You better watch yourself, Red,” Beca warns teasingly before gently removing the foamy toothpaste and reapplying her blush. When she finishes, she turns the faucet on like she’s going to wash her hands but splashes Chloe instead, most of the water landing right on the redhead’s chest and soaking through her white t-shirt. Beca purses her lips and sighs. “Well, I guess that backfired on me a little.”

Chloe laughs and removes her shirt, throwing it in the dirty clothes hamper before retrieving another one from her drawer, not bothering to put it on until she reaches the bathroom again, fully aware of Beca’s eyes following her movements as she remains in only her lace bra. It’s fun to make her suffer sometimes.

Chloe moves as little and as slow as possible while putting the shirt on, not wanting to disturb the perfect, elegant bun she has her hair in. Beca laughs as she watches through the mirror, putting her curling iron down and moving towards Chloe.

“Here, let me help,” she says, so Chloe stands still with her arms stretched above her, each one in its designated shirt hole. She expects Beca to help pull the shirt down over her head but instead finds her pulling it completely off. Chloe furrows her eyebrows, about to ask what she’s doing, but once the shirt is removed, Beca’s hands find her waist and swiftly push Chloe against the wall behind her.

Chloe smirks and bites her lip in the split second it takes for Beca’s mouth to meld with her own. Chloe’s fingers immediately tangle in Beca’s hair as she feels Beca press her entire body against her own. Beca’s fingers ghost up Chloe’s ribcage to the sides of her breasts, thumbs resting on the cups of her bra, and Chloe’s breath hitches. Beca bites Chloe’s bottom lip gently, knowing it drives her crazy, before moving her lips down her neck, sucking at her pulsepoint.

Suddenly, Beca drops all the way down to the flesh just above the band of her sweatpants, kissing and nipping her skin. Chloe throws her head back against the wall and moans out, elegant bun forgotten as her fingers pull at dark curls. Beca maps her way up Chloe’s abdomen, kissing, nipping, sucking. When she reaches Chloe’s breasts, she sucks on the swell of one, relishing in Chloe’s hands holding her head to the sensitive flesh.

“Shit, why can’t we just skip the dinner,” Chloe rasps breathlessly, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of Beca’s expert mouth on her breasts. Beca chuckles against her skin, sending chills through Chloe’s body, before sucking a little harder on the swell of her breast, wanting to leave a mark. When she’s sure she has, Beca moves her lips back up to Chloe’s, and the redhead moans deep into her mouth.

“Can we not stop,” Chloe murmurs, and Beca shakes her head, smiling.

“That was just a sneak peek of what’s to come tonight,” Beca says, pecking Chloe’s lips. Chloe moans again, placing a kiss on Beca’s jaw.

* * *

 

When Chloe is finished getting ready, Beca is waiting for her on the couch, dressed in black slacks and a turquoise blouse, hair cascading around her shoulders in waves. Beca hears the click of Chloe’s heels coming around the corner from their bedroom, and she stands, turning to look at her. She isn’t really prepared for her stomach to flip the way it does.

Chloe’s dress is black and hugs her form so perfectly it makes Beca wish she was the dress. It stretches to just above her knees and the deep V-neckline has Beca’s heart coming out of her chest. Her red hair is back in the elegant bun from earlier, wisps curling around her face beautifully. She stands in front of Beca, shyly smiling when she sees the brunette staring at her.

“Damn,” Beca breathes out, grin slowly spreading across her face. Chloe’s smile grows wider at her reaction, and she bites her lip nervously.

“You like it?” She asks, lifting her eyebrows questioningly. Beca just looks at her, grin still in place as she begins to move slowly towards her.

“Well, she’s all you’d ever want,” she begins, singing Tom Jones’ “She’s a Lady” as she walks closer and reaches out her hands, making Chloe roll her eyes at the song they would sing along to in Beca’s car as teens when she would steal her dad’s albums. “She’s the kind I like to flaunt and take to dinner.”

Beca takes Chloe’s hand and twirls her, drinking in the sheer beauty and grace and perfection of her girlfriend. She shakes her head disbelievingly after the twirl, still holding Chloe’s hand. “You are so beautiful.”

Chloe smiles, leaning in to give Beca a gentle kiss. Pulling back, she licks her lips and watches Beca’s eyes follow the movement. She chuckles, feeling flustered, and moves away to grab her purse from the end table.

“You’re pretty ‘damn’ yourself,” she says, winking at Beca. Beca waggles her eyebrows, making Chloe laugh. “You ready?”

“I am, but you aren’t,” Beca replies, and Chloe’s eyebrows knit together in question. She looks down at herself, trying to see if there’s anything she’s missed.

“What is it? Do I smell? You know what, I tried some new deodorant, maybe it doesn’t work that well,” she wonders, looking back up at Beca. She finds her smiling softly, holding a diamond heart necklace out to Chloe. “Oh, Becs.”

“Just a little something for the birthday girl,” Beca says, walking around Chloe to put the necklace on her. Chloe touches the heart and looks down at it after Beca clasps it around her neck and turns in Beca’s arms to hug her tightly.

“Thank you so much, it’s beautiful, Beca,” she says, turning to kiss Beca’s cheek, jaw, then lips. Beca smiles against her lips, hands holding her face gently.

“You’re very welcome. Happy birthday, Chloe.”

* * *

 

“God, it was so good to see them tonight,” Beca says as they walk through the door to the apartment a few hours later.

“Oh, I know. I love those kids, and they are so in love with you. Whenever you hold Avery, you can just see the adoration in her eyes,” Chloe says, chuckling and laying her purse down on the kitchen island. Beca laughs with her and closes the door, throwing her keys on the island with Chloe’s purse.

“I do have that effect on people,” she says, watching as Chloe leans against the kitchen counter and takes off a heel, sighing in relief and rubbing at the sore foot.

“Oh, you do?” Chloe laughs, removing the other heel and massaging it the same way.

“Of course, like look at me, dude,” Beca says, and Chloe rolls her eyes, shaking her head.

“Right, sorry, dude,” she mocks, and Beca laughs louder. Chloe continues caring for her feet, and Beca frowns slightly. “Here, go sit down, I’ll do that.”

“For real?” Chloe asks, looking up at Beca.

“Yeah, of course, come on,” Beca says, making her way to the couch. She sits down and makes herself comfortable, patting the space next to her. Chloe lies down, feet in Beca’s lap, and the brunette takes a foot and starts massaging it, kneading and rolling her fingers and knuckles deep into Chloe’s flesh.

Pretty immediately, Chloe starts to moan, and the harder Beca kneads, the louder Chloe moans. Beca is good at semi-ignoring it at first, but as it continues, it also continues stirring her flared arousal, and she’s human, she can only take so much.

“Alright, I get it,” she says, taking one of Chloe’s legs and lifting it, so she can move and settle between them, hovering just slightly above her as she presses their lips together, one hand resting on Chloe’s jaw. She feels Chloe smirk into the kiss, and she moves her other hand up Chloe’s dress to rest on her thigh, burning her skin with the touch.

Beca licks Chloe’s lip, and Chloe immediately opens her mouth to her, inviting the familiar taste of her girlfriend in. When Chloe moans into her mouth, Beca hikes Chloe’s dress up and hitches Chloe’s thigh around her waist all in one smooth movement. Beca moves her mouth to Chloe’s neck and sucks hard, making Chloe gasp and arch into her. Beca rolls her hips into Chloe in return and moves her lips down her neck to her cleavage where the deep neckline of Chloe’s dress has tortured her all evening. She buries her face there, kissing and sucking any flesh she comes in contact with, Chloe’s hands tangling in her hair.

When all Beca wants to do is feel her skin, and Chloe’s dress proves too difficult to work with, Beca exasperatedly sighs before placing another kiss on the swell of Chloe’s breast and moving her lips back up to Chloe’s ear.

“I need to get this dress off of you,” she whispers, capturing Chloe’s earlobe between her teeth and tugging gently. Chloe moans softly and runs her hands down Beca’s arms.

“The zipper. It’s on the back,” she explains breathlessly, and Beca sits back, bringing Chloe with her so they can stand together. Once they do, Beca moves close to Chloe before cradling Chloe’s face in her hands and kissing her deeply, exploring Chloe’s mouth. No matter how many times she’s held her, kissed her, made love to her, she will never get tired of her, of feeling her, of tasting her, of being with her in this way.

As Beca is kissing her, she moves her hands from Chloe’s face to her hair, letting the elegant bun fall down into a waterfall of red curls, immediately running her fingers through the waves and massaging Chloe’s scalp where the bun was held in place. Chloe moans into Beca’s mouth and fists Beca’s blouse, pulling her even closer to her. Beca breaks the kiss slowly, moving her lips to Chloe’s cheek.

“Turn around,” she commands softly, and Chloe knows that Beca doesn’t actually mean anything by it but she still has to bite back her moan. Beca’s tone is both demanding and gentle, just as her entire being is, and Chloe will never run out of reasons to love all of who Beca is and the parallels between her personality in everyday life and in the bedroom.

Chloe turns and gathers her hair to the side, waiting for Beca to unzip her dress, anticipation rolling deep in her belly. She feels Beca behind her, and the pace at which she reaches for the zipper and begins to pull it down is almost torturous. As she unzips, she bends her head to kiss Chloe’s shoulder, making sure to cover every inch there, from the back of her neck to her shoulder blade. Chloe hums and tilts her neck, giving Beca more access.

Once the dress is completely unzipped, Beca slips the straps from Chloe’s shoulders. Chloe pulls her arms out, and Beca slides the dress down, over Chloe’s curves, letting it drop and puddle at Chloe’s feet, leaving her in only her undergarments. Chloe steps out of it, her back still to Beca, and Beca kicks it to the side before quickly removing her own heels and slacks and blouse, matching Chloe’s state of undress.

Chloe smiles, hearing clothes hit the floor, and she stretches, giving Beca a little show. Beca groans audibly and comes up right behind Chloe, hands grabbing Chloe’s waist and pulling her back into her so that they’re flush against one another before kissing her neck. Chloe moans and leans her head back to rest on Beca’s shoulder, bringing her hand up to the back of Beca’s head. She grinds her ass into Beca’s crotch, earning a very appreciative moan, and one of Beca’s hands comes up to rest just below Chloe’s bra while the other rests on her belly, flat between her panties and her navel.

Beca rolls her own hips into Chloe, sucking at the juncture between Chloe’s neck and shoulder, and the hand on Chloe’s belly snakes just beneath her underwear but nowhere near where it needs to be, making Chloe bite her lip.

“God, you know just how to turn me on,” she rasps, and Beca chuckles against her neck. Beca moves her lips to Chloe’s ear, gently biting her earlobe again.

“This is how this is going to go,” she whispers huskily into Chloe’s ear, and Chloe’s whimper sends chills through Beca’s whole body. “This night is about you, and only you, okay? I don’t want you thinking about what I want the entire time I’m pleasing you, so I’m going to go ahead and tell you what I want right now.”

Chloe can’t help but moan at her tone and her gravelly voice and her hand slowly inching more and more into her panties.

“What I want,” Beca begins, “is whatever you want. Nothing makes me happier than being the one who gets to make you moan, make you scream, make you come for me. Nothing makes me happier than being the one who gets to see you and love you like this. So, what I want is to do whatever you want me to do. Okay?”

Chloe can’t say anything after that, she can only moan and turn her head to capture Beca’s lips in a kiss that she feels all the way down to her toes. This brazen side of Beca is one that appeared shortly after their first time together, and it never really went away, especially after Beca realized that Chloe loved seeing it so much. There’s something about the way that Beca talks to Chloe and the things that she says to her while they’re making love that arouses Chloe to no end and pushes her even further to the edge she wants to fall off of. Whenever Beca talks to her like that, Chloe feels the coil in her stomach tighten and flip and twirl.

Beca turns Chloe back around to face her and picks her up, Chloe’s legs immediately wrapping around Beca’s waist. She carries her to the bedroom and lays her on the bed, straddling one of Chloe’s legs and nudging one of her own firmly between the redhead’s. She reaches beneath Chloe’s back and expertly unclasps her bra, slipping it off of her and throwing it to the side of the bed.

She immediately attaches her mouth to a pert nipple, sucking and rolling her tongue over it. Chloe moans, arching her back into Beca and holding her head to her. Beca’s hand comes up to tweak the nipple of the neglected breast as her other hand moves down Chloe’s thigh to her knee, hitching the leg over her hip like she had before and rolling her hips into Chloe’s, the close contact and friction making Chloe whimper and buck into Beca.

Beca moves her mouth to the other breast to give it the same treatment, and she rolls her hips again, setting a rhythm that she knows Chloe enjoys judging by her continuous whimpers and moans.

“Shit,” Chloe says, hands moving to Beca’s waist. “You are so good.”

Beca moans around her nipple and keeps the rolling of her hips constant. The first time she ever heard Chloe curse was when Chloe was sixteen and someone had broken into her car and since that time she had only ever heard her really curse out of anger - so not frequently. Until Beca made love to her for the first time. She never thought the sound of someone cursing would be the sweetest thing she ever hears. Beca moves back up to kiss Chloe, biting her bottom lip gently.

“I am going to make you feel so good,” she murmurs against Chloe’s mouth, her words making Chloe moan. “What do you want me to do to you?” Chloe moans again and squeezes Beca’s waist.

“Use your mouth on me,” Chloe says, kissing Beca again, Beca smiles, complying with Chloe’s request and moving down her body. She hooks her fingers in Chloe’s panties and pulls them down, giving Chloe room to lift her legs so she can slip them off.

The sight of a naked Chloe Beale lying before her is one that will never get old.

Beca moves to Chloe’s center, and she gently strokes her folds with her fingers, seeing and feeling how wet she is. Chloe hisses and rests her head back on the pillow, closing her eyes and anticipating the feel of Beca’s mouth on her.

Beca teases, kissing the inside of Chloe’s thighs and slowly moving higher, reveling in the whimpers she’s drawing out of her lover. Suddenly, Beca takes a long lick up through Chloe’s folds, feeling her around her tongue, tasting her. Chloe moans loudly and grips the bedsheets. She’ll never get tired of this feeling.

Beca flicks Chloe’s swollen nub with her tongue quickly, making it harder than it was before capturing it in her mouth, sucking hard. Chloe’s hips fly off of the bed, another loud moan escaping her.

“You like that?” Beca asks raspily, voice sending shockwaves of pleasure through Chloe’s entire body.

“God, yes, Beca, shit,” Chloe breathes out. Beca moans around her, sucking harder. “That’s so good, baby, don’t stop.”

Beca continues sucking and licking her clit before licking through her folds again and plunging her tongue into Chloe. Chloe gasps, her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

“Fuck, oh my...Fuck.,” she moans out, knuckles white as she tightens her grip. Beca’s eyebrows furrow as she listens to Chloe, turned on to no end by her reactions.

“Shit, baby,” Beca says, licking and sucking before adding her fingers to Chloe’s pleasure. First one, then two, then three, building up her pace slowly as she sucks on Chloe’s clit again. Pleasure completely takes over and wracks Chloe’s body, and Beca has to use her other hand to keep Chloe’s hips still as she writhes beneath her.

“Holy shit. Holy shit, Beca,” Chloe whimpers, completely at Beca’s mercy. Beca continues what she’s doing, thrusting and sucking harder and harder, feeling how close Chloe is getting with the way her walls are contracting around her fingers. Beca knows how to angle her fingers and does so just right, hitting the spot inside Chloe that makes her scream out. “Fuck! Beca, don’t stop, baby, please don’t stop, I’m almost there.”

“You gonna come for me, Chloe?” Beca asks, keeping the angle and thrusting harder.

“Shit, yes, baby, you’re gonna make me come,” Beca sucks on Chloe’s clit again, flicking her tongue over it as it’s captured in her mouth, and all of the sensations are sending Chloe into overdrive. She reaches her climax, gushing all over Beca’s mouth and hand.

Beca doesn't stop, though. She keeps thrusting, but she moves up Chloe’s body to kiss her, make her taste herself on Beca’s tongue. Chloe moans into her mouth and breaks off, too overcome by pleasure.

“Oh, shit, shit, shit,” she chants as Beca thrusts, and she’s suddenly thrown into her second orgasm, biting Beca’s shoulder as she comes. “Holy fuck.”

Beca smiles and removes her fingers, bringing them to her mouth and licking them. Chloe’s eyes follow the movement, and she brings Beca’s face to her to kiss her again.

“You. Are. Absolutely. Amazing,” she says, punctuating each word with a kiss. Beca chuckles and kisses Chloe’s collarbone before rolling off of her to lie beside her, grabbing her hand.

“Happy birthday, baby,” Beca says, looking over at Chloe. Chloe smiles at her and leans over to kiss her again.

“You said tonight is about what I want,” she begins, moving her lips to Beca’s neck. “And I want to do that to you now.”

Chloe ghosts a hand down Beca’s ribcage to her waist, sending chills down Beca’s spine.

“Well, I mean, I did make you a promise,” Beca says, smiling as Chloe kisses her again.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I know, I hate me, too.**

**This is short and not at all what you deserve but it is something.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you.**

* * *

 

Chloe stands outside the door to their apartment for a few seconds longer than usual, listening to the jazz piece Beca is playing on the piano. She smiles, leaning against the wooden frame. Jazz means wine. Wine means Beca cooked. 

She walks in, senses immediately overwhelmed with the smells of various herbs and spices. Chicken marsala has been prepared, two dishes of it waiting for Beca and Chloe at the kitchen table, glasses of red wine keeping the dishes company. She sets her purse down on the kitchen island and looks over at Beca still playing the piano, finding her already looking back with a growing smirk..

“Baby…” Chloe says, walking over to her. Beca reaches out with her right hand, still playing softly with her left. Chloe places her hand in Beca’s, watching as Beca brings it to her lips. Chloe moves to stand behind her, taking back her hand to sweep Beca’s tresses away from her face. She leans down to gently kiss her temple. Beca hums, fingers still playing Erroll Garner’s “Misty.” Chloe smiles against Beca’s temple, loosely wrapping her arms around her neck. “Please kiss me,” she murmurs against her head.

Beca chuckles and turns her head slightly to peck Chloe’s lips, still playing smoothly. She turns back, smiling at the disappointed pout on the redhead’s face. 

“Oh, come on,” Chloe tsks.

The whine in her voice makes Beca laugh again, and she stops playing, reaching up to remove Chloe’s arms from around her neck so she can stand. She walks around the piano bench to Chloe and gently brings her hands up to hold her face, firmly pressing her lips to the redhead’s. Chloe rests her hands at Beca’s waist, letting the sweet kiss unfold. It’s slow, easy, tender, completely fulfilling.

Beca pulls away, watching as Chloe opens her eyes and licks her lips before catching her bottom one between her teeth. She brings her eyes up to Beca’s, smiling softly and giving her waist a small squeeze.

“You’re sweet,” Chloe says, nodding towards the food Beca’s prepared for them. Beca smiles and shakes her head.

“Nah. Just hungry.” Beca leans forward and kisses her again before taking her hand and leading her to the kitchen table. She pulls out her chair and pushes it back in under her, kissing the top of her head after she’s seated.

“I think that’s one of my favorite pieces that you do,” Chloe says as Beca is sitting down across from her. Beca smiles, placing her napkin in her lap.

“The marsala or the Garner?” She jokes. Chloe chuckles into her wine glass before taking a sip. Swallowing, she tilts her head slightly and raises her eyebrows as if to say “fair question.”

“Both,” she says, cutting into the tender chicken and taking a bite. It’s perfectly cooked, flavors mixing together beautifully. “Oh my gosh. Delicious, Becs.”

Beca beams, proud of her work. Chicken is HARD, okay? 

“Thank you, Beale,” she responds, twirling a noodle around her fork. Chloe smiles back.

“I remember when you were trying to learn that song. Your mom said to me ‘I’ll die happy if I never have to hear that again,’” Chloe reminisces, perfectly imitating Darlene’s southern drawl. Beca grins, chewing up a piece of chicken.

“Yeah, too bad she’ll have to hear it again at our wedding,” she says casually, cutting another piece. Chloe’s eyes snap up from her plate to Beca’s face. Beca doesn’t notice, still mindlessly slicing into the meat. Chloe leans back in her chair and brings her fork up to her mouth, placing the tip of the metal prongs between her teeth gently. She watches Beca spear the newly cut piece and pop it into her mouth.

“What?” Chloe asks softly, taking the fork out of her mouth and absently waving it.

“What?” Beca questions back, mid-chew with eyebrows raised. Chloe sits back up and places the fork on her plate. Her eyes skim over Beca’s face, and she wets her lips.

“What did you just say?” She asks again, brows slightly furrowed. Beca catches her eye and suddenly realizes what she’s talking about. She lifts her head in recognition and swallows slowly before letting a smirk spread across her face. Also setting her fork down, she places her elbows on the table and folds her hands in front of her, resting her chin on top of her knuckles.

“Do you know why I learned that song?” She asks, eyes trained on Chloe’s face. Chloe sighs because she should have known that she wouldn’t get a direct answer. She rolls her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips.

“I don’t know, because you like jazz?” She halfheartedly guesses, picking her fork back up and twirling a noodle around it before stabbing a mushroom.

“You’re right, I do like jazz. I love jazz,” Beca agrees, smirk growing wider. “But, that’s not why I learned it.”

Chloe chews up her food and nods her head, waiting for Beca to elaborate. Beca doesn’t, taking a sip of wine instead. Chloe raises her eyebrows and gives Beca an expectant look.

“Oh, please, do go on,” she prods dramatically when she realizes what game Beca’s trying to play.

Beca looks back at Chloe smiling before scooting her chair away from the table and getting up, walking to the bookcase. She takes a photo album down from the highest shelf (that she can reach) and flips through it to the page that she’s looking for. She gingerly removes a photo from its sleeve in the album and carries it back to Chloe. She places it down beside Chloe’s wine glass, tapping on it twice.

“This was why,” she says, moving away to sit back down at the other end of the table. It’s a picture of the two of them, both dressed in beautiful ball gowns - Chloe’s a jeweled sky blue and Beca’s a simple deep scarlet. In it, they’re just talking. Beca is leaning back against her beat up Nissan, listening to Chloe explain something. Neither one of them were aware that Darlene was snapping pictures of them. 

Chloe knits her eyebrows together but smiles at the memory.

“This was before Barden High’s prom,” she says, confused about what it has to do with anything. Beca nods, resuming her meal. Chloe chuckles, picking up the picture and adding, “Eddie Price asked me to go with him and you said, and I quote, ‘Dammit Beale, now I have to go so I can keep an eye on him.’”

Beca laughs with her, taking another sip of wine. As if  _ that  _ was the real reason she was going.

“Good thing you did go. I would have been a wreck,” Chloe continues, putting the picture back down and cutting into her chicken. “I thought that the world had ended when he ditched me at the dance to go sleep with Katie Cross.”

Beca smiles sympathetically, finishing the last of her meal. She swallows and takes another sip of wine, leaning back in her chair.

“When you found out where he had gone, you ran out to the bathroom down the hall. I was getting some more punch and saw you, so I followed you out. When I walked in the bathroom, you were trying to carefully dab tears away from your eyes,” Beca recounts, looking at the photo.

“I was pissed about my running mascara,” Chloe says indignantly before smiling softly. “You gave me your punch and said ‘A few good punches fix everything.’”

Beca grins, remembering the joke. They sit for a few seconds longer, both looking back on the memory with some fondness, no matter how terrible it was in the moment. A little more somber, Beca plays with the hem of the lace tablecloth. 

“After you drank the punch, you said ‘I didn’t even g-’”

“Get to slow dance,” Chloe finishes for her, looking at her and biting her bottom lip thoughtfully.

“Mmhmm,”  Beca hums, nodding. She gets back up from her place at the table and goes to retrieve the picture, leaning down to kiss Chloe’s temple as she reaches for it. She walks to the shelf and slips the picture back into its sleeve. As she walks back, she says, “The music was playing pretty loudly in the ballroom, so we could hear it in the bathroom with no problem.”

She sits back down at the table and brings her eyes up to meet Chloe’s, knowing they haven’t left her face. She smiles at her, coaxing a soft smile back from the redhead.

“I could hear Ella Fitzgerald’s smooth version of ‘Misty’ and I saw my chance,” she continues, putting an elbow on the table and resting her head against her fist. Chloe smiles and nods, folding her arms in front of her.

“That was the first time we ever danced together,” she says, recalling how she felt cared for in Beca’s arms that night. Beca nods against her fist.

“So I wanted it to be our first dance at our wedding,” she explains before taking her last sip of wine. Chloe smiles warmly at her and shakes her head slowly, moved by her thoughtfulness. 

“You are incredible. Who knew Beca Mitchell was such a romantic, huh?” She asks, getting up to clean the dishes. Beca lifts her shoulders to her ears in a way that says “I don’t know, man,” before also standing and taking her dish and wine glass to the sink. 

As she’s setting them down, she feels Chloe press her body against the back of hers, arms encircling her abdomen. She kisses the pulse point below her ear before whispering, “But nobody said I was going to marry you.”

Beca chuckles lowly, resting her hands on top of Chloe’s.

“I made chicken marsala, you literally have to.”


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey guys! Here’s another! Thank you for sticking with me!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 

Beca’s hands move from Chloe’s face to firmly grip her waist as she kisses her, feeling Chloe’s arms wrap around her neck. Beca walks forward, pushing Chloe back against the door of the bedroom, pinning her there gently as their mouths explore one another. Beca hooks her fingers through Chloe’s belt loops, pressing their hips together. 

Chloe whimpers into her mouth, hands gently fisting rich chocolate locks. Beca tastes like spearmint, and Chloe chases it. She leans into Beca, forcing her to move backwards, and leads them to the bed, never ceasing the kiss. Chloe nips at her lip as she sits herself on the bed, scooting backwards to lie down while Beca dutifully follows. 

Beca hovers above her, one hand resting at Chloe’s ribcage, the other hiking her leg over her hip to press more firmly against her. She moves her lips to Chloe’s jaw, mapping a trail to her pulsepoint. She feels Chloe shiver and smiles against her skin at the moan she exhales.

“Good, beautiful, cut!” Gail announces, moving her headset off to rest around her neck. Beca groans loudly, burying her face in Chloe’s neck. Chloe laughs, turning her head slightly to kiss Beca’s temple, hands caressing her back. Beca picks her head up and smiles sweetly at Chloe before leaning down and giving her a gentle kiss, making Chloe smile into it. Gail good-naturedly rolls her eyes as she approaches them, coming to stand beside the bed and resting her hands on her hips. “Should we all leave?”

Beca rolls over onto her back beside Chloe, looking up at Gail with a smirk in place. 

“No, you can watch if you’d like!” She says, folding her hands behind her head. Gail rolls her eyes again, and Chloe chuckles, sitting up and resting against the headboard as she tries to smooth her top back out.

“Get up and go home, you two are done for the day,” Gail throws over her shoulder as she turns and walks back to the crew. Beca looks over at Chloe and sees her already looking down at her, smiling. Chloe leans over and presses a kiss to her forehead, and Beca scrunches her nose up at her. 

They stand up, Beca scooting off first and holding her hands out for Chloe to help herself up with. She pulls Chloe up and drops one hand as she intertwines the others, leading her out. She winks at Gail as they pass by, only to receive another eye-roll.

Jesse and Stacie are waiting for them just off of the set, and they whistle lowly at the couple as they come closer. Beca smiles and shakes her head, slowing down to stop in front of them. 

“Damn, was it getting hot in there or was it just me, Jess?” Stacie asks, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Jesse shrugs his shoulders before crossing his arms in front of him.

“I don’t know, seemed to be a little hotter for some,” he proposes, giving the two a knowing look. Chloe laughs and leans against Beca’s side.

“What can I say? She makes me crazy,” she says, further leaning her head in to ghost her lips over the shell of Beca’s ear. Beca swallows thickly and feels her face go red. 

“Okay, time to go, Beale.” She runs her thumb over the inside of Chloe’s wrist and eagerly pulls her away as Jesse and Stacie laugh at their retreating forms.

As they walk the small distance to the trailers, Chloe turns her head to look at Beca and smiles softly.

“Thank you for what you did today,” she says.

Beca draws her eyebrows together and tries to think back through the day, coming up with no reason for why she should be thanked. She turns to look back at Chloe.

“For what, Red?” She asks, swinging their hands slightly. Chloe sighs and looks forward, the bright one o’clock sun making her squint. 

“For defending my honor,” she gives dramatically as way of explanation. Beca continues looking at her, trying to decipher her code. Chloe looks back and smiles again at her confusion. “I mean, I read the script, Beca. I know that you were supposed to take my clothes off.”

Beca tilts her head back in recognition, staying silent for a moment. When she had read the part in the script where she takes Chloe’s top and pants off, she had called to set a meeting with Gail immediately to ask if there was any way around that. Gail, being the understanding director and woman she is, settled the issue right then over the phone.

“I didn’t want to do that to you. Not on camera, anyway,” Beca starts, looking at their hands as she continues swinging them. “I didn’t want to expose you or us in that way. Some things should stay sacred.”

Chloe nods, still smiling. She completely understands why Beca would not want to undress her on television for everyone to see. That act alone is an intimate one between them. Chloe loves the care and concern Beca shows for her body. 

“I just didn’t want people to see you like that, you know?” She explains, looking over at Chloe. “I guess I just wanted to protect you.”

Chloe grins, stopping them in the middle of the trailer lot. She tugs Beca into her, wrapping her arms around her neck as Beca’s automatically circle around her waist.

“Thank you,” She says into her neck. Beca pulls back some, pressing her lips to Chloe’s forehead before taking her hand again and bringing it up to her mouth. 

“No need,” she murmurs against her skin, pulling her to her own trailer.

* * *

 

Taking advantage of Gail letting them go early, Beca and Chloe decide to grab a bite to eat at their favorite deli down the street from their apartment. They walk the short distance, smiling at everyone who recognizes them. One good thing about living in New York is that it isn’t necessarily unusual for celebrities to be spotted so the long-time residents are used to it in a way, a lot of times respecting the privacy of the individuals. 

It doesn’t hurt that Beca and Chloe have also gotten much more used to the idea of being these “household names,” as weird as the thought still is to them. They’ve progressively gotten more and more accommodated to people’s stares and shy (or aggressive) approaches, so the trip to the deli proves to be an easy one with people keeping their distance for the most part or just saying hi and asking for a quick picture.

Walter and Alice are the owners of the small family business and are still as desperately in love as they were the day they were married forty-six years ago. The deli is extremely successful but very small, so the two of them are able to run it efficiently with Walter taking the orders and Alice serving the food. They sometimes enlist the help of their granddaughter Emily, a recent high school grad.

When Beca and Chloe stroll up to the deli at around 2:30 pm, it looks to be in that limbo state between the lunch and dinner rushes, several empty tables waiting for someone to pick them. Beca will never understand how they can live in a city like this one and still be able to find calm and quiet and peace at a restaurant. 

Emily is working today, and she glances up from her place behind the cash register at the ding of the bell signalling someone’s arrival. Seeing that it’s Beca and Chloe, her face breaks into an ear-splitting grin as she bounces on her toes some. Beca winks at her as Chloe smiles back, taking her sunglasses off.

“OMG! I’m so happy to see you guys, it’s been  _ forever _ . I watched the marathon of your show that came on yesterday, and I’m DYING for new episodes. When is it coming back?” Emily shoots off, barely pausing to take a breath. Beca raises her eyebrows as they approach her.

“You okay there, Em?” She asks, resting her arms on the counter. “Come on, deep breaths.”

As Beca begins to demonstrate deep breathing, Chloe laughs and places her sunglasses on top of her head.

“We’ll be back in the fall. We’re on summer hiatus right now shooting you guys some new stuff,” Chloe explains, ignoring Beca’s “okay, deep breath in … and out. You try.”

Emily nods her understanding and claps her hands excitedly.

“I’m PUMPED. You guys are the best,” she says, megawatt smile putting the sun to shame. She turns her attention back to the cash register, punching in information “You want your usual, right?” 

“Of course,” Beca answers, grabbing a twenty dollar bill from her wallet. She pays Emily and tells her to keep the change. “Put it towards that NYU fund.”

Emily beams at her again and thanks her. She turns around, ready to yell their order into the kitchen. 

“Pop, I need chicken salad on croissant with mac and a turkey club on wheat with a cup of tortilla soup!”

“Beca and Chloe are here?” They all hear a thick New York accent throw back. Chloe giggles as Beca rolls her eyes. They should really be ashamed coming here so often that everyone knows their order by heart. “Al! The girls are here!”

“The girls are here?” Alice asks, her strong but quaint voice bringing a warm smile to Beca’s face. She rounds the corner from the storage room, seeking out the couple in question. Spotting them, she delightedly clasps her hands in front of herself. “Walter, the girls are here!”

“Yes, Gram, I think we’ve established that,” Emily says, looking apologetically at Beca and Chloe.

Beca and Chloe move towards the old lady, already holding out their arms for her. They surround her, squeezing her between their two bodies as they both hug her at the same time. Soon they feel another pair of arms encircle them all, and none of them have to look to know that it’s Walter. 

“Okay, everyone off before you smother me to death,” Alice’s muffled voice breaks through. Everyone obediently disbands at her command, and Alice shoots them all an indignant look, hands coming to fluff her silver hair back in place. Walter makes a show of doing the same to his bald head. 

Beca chuckles and leans over to kiss the old lady’s temple. Alice is even shorter than Beca, making herself a sight to behold when next to Walter, who towers over them all at six feet.

They exchange hellos and Walter asks how they’ve been as Chloe takes his arm. He leads them to their table, a small round one near the back next to a window. The centerpiece is a yellow vase filled with daisies. 

“We’ve been great, Walt! Business is going well, and we couldn’t be happier,” Chloe answers, smiling at Walter as he pulls her chair out for her. “I love these flowers, did you grow them?”

“Of course not, who do you think grew them?” Alice interjects, looping her arm through Walter’s. “This man hasn’t grown anything except the pain in my neck.”

Beca and Chloe both laugh, and Walter looks down at his wife, smiling slowly.

“They’re beautiful flowers, sweetheart,” he says, moving his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll call them Alice.”

“Oh, stop. Go make a sandwich or something,” she says, playfully hitting his chest and shoving him away. He concedes, chuckling, and turns around to go inside the kitchen.

Alice looks after him, shaking her head fondly. She directs her attention back to Beca and Chloe and smiles at them. 

“What are you gonna do with ‘em, huh?” she asks rhetorically, and Beca and Chloe smile back their agreement. Alice shuffles in a little closer to Beca and leans down some. “Have you married her yet?”

Beca looks across the table at Chloe as the question hits her ear and smiles softly. Chloe is studying something on the other side of the window, but Beca knows she heard Alice from the blush that tinges her cheeks.

“Did you get a wedding invitation?” She questions back, eyes still on Chloe. Chloe smiles and focuses her eyes on the flowers. Alice shakes her head grinning, knowing what Beca is implying. She pats Beca’s hand.

“Let me get your meals,” she says sweetly before putting her hand under Chloe’s chin and lifting her head up gently to make her look at her face. “You’re good for her.”

Chloe’s smile widens, and she catches Alice’s hand, pressing a kiss to it before she turns away. Beca watches the exchange, resting her head against her fist. She takes in the way Chloe looks right now in her blue blouse that clings to her in all of the right places and accentuates her eyes. The sunglasses on her head push her hair back beautifully, the red curls falling down to perfectly frame her face. Chloe catches her staring.

“What?” She asks, smiling and mirroring Beca’s position. Beca shrugs slightly.

“I don’t know, you just make my head spin a little bit,” she replies, bringing her free hand up to poke Chloe’s nose. Chloe gazes at her softly, memorizing the look in her eyes. Beca looks back, smiling. “And Alice is right.”

* * *

 

Beca wakes up peacefully from the early morning light streaming in through their window. It casts a kind of ethereal glow on their bedroom, shadows caught in the perfect places. She looks beside her and sees Chloe lying on her stomach, still sound asleep. The sheet is only pulled up to the small of her bare back, and Beca watches the way she rises and falls with her breaths.

Everything about her is perfect, from the curve of her spine to the definition of her shoulder blades.

Chloe amazes her.

Beca reaches her hand out to tenderly trace a line from the top of her spine to the bottom, finally coming to curve around her waist. She leans over slowly, making sure not to wake her. Her lips follow the same path her fingers had taken, pressing kisses to both shoulder blades and every inch of her spine.

Beca doesn’t respect and worship anything more than she does Chloe and her body. That’s evident in how lovingly she touches Chloe in any situation or in how carefully and firmly she holds her when they lie down together. That’s evident in how tenderly she makes love to her, never being rough or harsh but always being strong and passionate.

She feels the change in Chloe’s breathing as she travels lower down her back and hears her low chuckle.

“Well, good morning,” Chloe’s raspy voice murmurs against her pillow. Beca smiles against her skin. 

She trails kisses back up, and Chloe turns her head more as she reaches her shoulder. She presses her lips to Chloe’s cheek before Chloe captures them with her own, giving her a lazily sweet kiss. 

Beca sighs into her mouth as she lets the fingertips at Chloe’s waist drift further down. Chloe smiles against her lips and pulls back gently. 

“You are insatiable,” she says, chuckling.

“You are beautiful,” Beca replies, grinning and pecking her lips. Chloe turns all the way over beneath her and pulls her face down to hers, kissing her more fully.

“No, I’m hungry,” she murmurs, her hands sliding down to grip Beca’s hips. Beca moans softly, her tongue tracing Chloe’s bottom lip. Chloe pulls away before it can go anywhere. “But for food.”

She pushes Beca and the sheet off of her in one swift movement and Beca rolls with the momentum onto her back. She watches, grinning, as Chloe puts on a pair of underwear and a shirt with the sleeves cut out of it. She can’t take her eyes off of her. 

Chloe turns back around from the dresser and smiles at the look Beca’s giving her. She rolls her eyes and throws a shirt at her.

“Get up, I’m making omelets,” she says before walking out of their bedroom to the kitchen. Beca’s gaze follows her until she’s out of her line of sight, but she hears her move the needle of the record player, Judy Garland’s voice quickly following. 

She listens as Chloe sings along, and she soaks in as much of her as she can.

God, she wants to marry her.

* * *

 

**Thank you guys so much! Let me know what you thought!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Lol I literally realize that this story has kind of turned into plotless fluff so I’m sorry for that but with the way that things are sort of going in the world right now, maybe we could use some plotless fluff.**

**Thank you all for sticking with me. I so so so appreciate it. More than you know. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 

Beca lowers herself into the recliner slowly, careful not to spill the hot coffee out of her favorite mug - an oversized white one that Grayson picked for her birthday this past year. It’s one meant to be painted on, Grayson so magnificently showcasing that with his multi-colored swirls and hearts scattered all around it and a carefully scrawled out “I love you” accomplished with the help of his mom for good measure. Avery’s tiny painted hand had been pressed by one of the hearts and Beca thinks that if there was ever going to be a fire and she could save only one (non-human) item, this mug would be it. 

She takes a sip of the coffee, grimacing at its bitter taste before setting it down on the end table. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, relaxing in the easy, early-morning light streaming in through the glass balcony doors. Beca likes these moments, maybe even wholeheartedly enjoys them. She doesn’t have to think or worry about anything - paparazzi, tabloids, press junkets. 

She can just be. 

She knows when Chloe wakes up. There’s a shift that happens in the whole apartment when she does, like her immediate energy just upon opening her crystal blue eyes fills every space around her. It’s not unlike how Chloe herself fills every space inside a person. Beca, especially.

She smiles when she hears the soft rustling of the bed sheets, knowing that Chloe is kicking them off of her. Beca focuses on all of the sounds and can see Chloe in her mind’s eye, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head, her tanktop rising just enough to reveal a sliver of beautifully sunkissed skin and a freckle to the right of her bellybutton. She sees her roll her shoulders back, popping her stiff collarbone. She sees her yawn big, and, right on time, she hears the small smack of her lips that marks the end of the routine that hasn’t changed once in all of the years that Beca has known her. 

Shortly after, Chloe emerges from their bedroom in her white tanktop and gray Calvin Klein boyshorts and Beca’s chest tightens. Her fiery tresses are tousled adorably and she still looks as if she’s just stepped out of a magazine.

Chloe immediately glances towards the recliner as she rounds the corner fully, instinctively knowing where to find Beca. A charmingly dazed smile is already on her face when she catches Beca’s eye. Beca watches her automatically float to the old Victrola record player resting atop an antique desk against the wall near the piano. She flips through the line of records in the crate next to the Victrola, but she knows which one she’s looking for. She grins when she finds it and plucks it out of the crate. She’s gentle with it, making sure to touch only the edges of the record as she slips it from the sleeve, and she carefully places it on the player, biting her lip in slight concentration. She gingerly moves the needle and soothing vocals fill the room instantly. 

Chloe’s in a Nat King Cole mood this morning. It’s her favorite mood. She feels relaxed and loose and blissfully lazy, almost as if she’s had a couple of glasses of wine. 

Beca loves these mornings. These moments.

Chloe sways towards her, rounding the sofa and coming to her side, hand reaching out all the while. Beca takes it when she gets closer, bringing it to her lips as Chloe stands beside the recliner. She kisses her knuckles and keeps the hand pressed to her lips, thumb running over her fingers.

Chloe smiles and bends at her waist to kiss the top of Beca’s head, her other hand reaching for Beca’s coffee. She picks it up and brings it closer to take a sip. Seeing that it’s black, she thinks better of it and sets it back down, scrunching up her nose. 

Beca catches the move and chuckles against her hand, flipping it over and kissing her palm. 

“We’re out of cream and sugar,” she murmurs, moving her lips to the inside of her wrist just over her pulse. She hears Chloe’s breath catch at the small movement. 

“Are you serious? We just bought some.” Chloe’s voice is still deep and raspy with sleep, and Beca grins against her skin, squeezing her hand. 

“You’re right, we did,” Beca says, voice lilting teasingly. She pulls her face away from Chloe’s hand to pointedly look up at her. “Someone must have used it all.”

Chloe gasps and playfully jerks her hand away. 

“What are you suggesting?” She dramatically brings the back of her hand to her forehead and walks away to the kitchen. Beca smirks and shakes her head before picking up her coffee and taking a sip.

Beca hears her open and close the refrigerator and cabinet doors, and she chuckles to herself. She hears Chloe sigh and clap her hands one time.

“I’m afraid you’re right just this once, there is nothing to be found here,” she sighs again, and Beca grins, setting the mug back down.

“Just this once? You wound me, Beale.”

Chloe smiles and turns away from the cabinets to walk back to the recliner. She places her hand on Beca’s shoulder and stands in front of her before using the shoulder as leverage to bring one knee up, snugly fitting it between the arm of the recliner and Beca’s thigh. She does the same with her other knee, effectively straddling her girlfriend. 

Beca’s pulse quickens immediately. 

“Want me to kiss it better?” Chloe asks, cupping Beca’s face with her hands. Beca doesn’t have a chance to answer before Chloe presses their lips together. Beca’s hands automatically move to Chloe’s waist, and Chloe breaks away slightly, smirking. Beca chases her lips, capturing them again and pulling her back in. 

The kiss deepens, Beca holding Chloe’s body against her own as she nips at her bottom lip gently. Chloe moans softly and squirms, Beca’s hand creeping underneath her tanktop. Her fingers skim Chloe’s ribcage before brushing the underside of her bare breast. Chloe moans deeper into Beca’s mouth, and Beca smiles against her lips. 

Beca all but forgets about Nat King Cole. Chloe, however, does not.

“Will you dance with me?” Chloe murmurs against Beca’s lips before kissing her again. 

Beca chuckles and drags a line of open-mouthed kisses along her jawline until she reaches the pulse point beneath her ear.

“Right now?” Beca asks, sucking on the skin there gently. Chloe hums a moan before turning her head to kiss Beca’s cheek. She climbs off of Beca and the recliner and pulls Beca up by her hands.

“Mmhmm, I love this song,” she says, grinning at her as they walk closer to the record player. 

“If you were able to tell what song was playing, I must not be as great as I think I am,” Beca says dejectedly, pouting at the redhead. Chloe laughs, stopping and pulling Beca closer to her. She circles her arms around Beca’s neck as Beca wraps hers securely around her waist.

“You said it, not me,” Chloe retorts playfully, placing a kiss on her nose. She lays her head on Beca’s shoulder and tightens her arms around her neck. They sway together as they hold each other, listening to Nat’s velvety voice. “You want to know something?”

Beca smiles at her thoughtful tone. 

God, she loves her.

“Of course,” she says, running her fingertips up and down Chloe’s back. Beca leans her head down to press a sweet kiss to the bare, freckled skin on Chloe’s collarbone beside the strap of her tanktop, and Chloe smiles, staying quiet for a few seconds and enjoying how gentle Beca is with her. She remembers how timid Beca was in the beginning stages of their relationship and thinks about how that act alone would have called for a serious internal pep talk from Beca as well as a major step-up in self-assurance and courage. She loves how confident Beca is with her passion now and is proud of her for trusting herself to show Chloe how she loves her.

“I could do this forever.” Her voice is still quiet, sincerely trying to get her point across. Beca smiles and squeezes her waist. They don’t say anything for a few more seconds, and that’s Chloe’s favorite thing - that they don’t need words all the time.

“I mean, I guess,” she says after a beat, smiling into Beca’s neck. Beca grins, wrapping an arm around her waist again. “If I had to.”

Beca chuckles and wraps her other arm around her, holding her close.

“Whoa, don’t get too ahead of yourself, Red, what if I don’t feel the same way?” Beca says as she brings a hand up to run through Chloe’s hair. Chloe laughs and kisses her neck.

* * *

 

Chloe pulls on a pair of yoga pants and a Beatles shirt that she kind of thinks could be hers but is almost probably Beca’s, and she comes out of the bedroom to find Beca sitting back down on the sofa. 

“Ready to go?” She asks as she plops down happily beside her. 

“Yeah, Chlo, just one sec,” Beca responds, finishing up something on her laptop. Chloe smiles and waits patiently, looking at the small stack of books on the end table next to the sofa. Her smile widens when she reads the titles. 

_ Peter Pan _ ,  _ Winnie-the-Pooh _ , and  _ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone _ . Grayson’s favorites. 

“You  _ do  _ have a heart,” Chloe says, dramatically clutching her chest. She looks back over at Beca just in time to see her shut her laptop and roll her eyes. 

“What do you want from me? They’re classics,” she says, leaning forward to place her laptop on the coffee table. “Grayson has good taste.”

Chloe smiles and pinches Beca’s cheek. 

“So do I,” she says in a playful tone as Beca swats her hand away. Chloe laughs and looks back at the books. She pulls  _ Harry Potter  _ from the stack and gingerly flips through the old copy’s yellowing pages. “Do you remember reading this to me when we were kids?”

“Are you serious?” Beca looks at her with furrowed brows, confusion evident on her face. “I read that to you? Like I was so much older and wiser.”

She scoffs at herself, and Chloe laughs softly.

“No, it was sweet. You were sharing something you loved with me,” she says, thumbing all of the dog-eared pages. It’s an incredibly worn copy, no doubt. “That’s actually one of my favorite memories of us. It was something I looked forward to everyday.”

“Oh,” Beca says distractedly. Chloe glances at her and sees the same furrowed expression. She reaches up and runs her thumb along Beca’s eyebrow, Beca visibly relaxing against her touch and coming out of her thoughts.

“Where’d you go, Becs?” Chloe asks, bringing her hand back to the book to close it. Beca smiles at her, leaning over to kiss her shoulder. 

“Nowhere bad.” She takes the copy from Chloe and flips it open to the bookmarked page. She’s about three-quarters of the way through reading it to Grayson. He’s excited to finish it and to read the next ones. “Hermione is his favorite. He loves her.”

When Chloe looks confused, Beca explains.

“Grayson does. He calls her his girlfriend.” She chuckles, closing the book and handing it back to Chloe so she can place it on the end table again. Chloe grins and shakes her head. “He’s a sweet kid.”

“He really is,” Chloe agrees, taking Beca’s hand. “I can’t wait for you to be able to read to Avery. I wonder what she would like, you know?”

Beca nods her head, flipping Chloe’s palm over to trace the lines with her fingers. 

“Definitely  _ Potter _ , obviously. Maybe like  _ Charlotte’s Web _ .  _ Alice in Wonderland _ . Absolutely  _ Little Women _ . Mom always read that one to me, so… ” Beca says as Chloe leans her head on her shoulder, humming her agreement. “She’s so smart, her eyes are way too big and inquisitive to belong to a baby.”

Chloe laughs, bringing Beca’s hand to her lips. They’re silent, enjoying a few more minutes of peace before it’s disturbed when they go grocery shopping. 

Chloe imagines a little boy with dark brown hair and deep blue eyes running around the sofa in his favorite motorcycle shirt as his little sister who has just discovered what it’s like to really run is chasing him with her curly red hair in a ponytail and her sky blue eyes glistening. He’s probably taken her microphone again or something.

She squeezes Beca’s hand tighter.

“Becs?” She asks hesitantly, running her thumb over the brunette’s knuckles.

“Yeah,” Beca says, recognition heavy in her voice. She turns her head and presses a kiss to the top of Chloe’s. “Me, too.”

* * *

 

“No, Mama Mitch, it’s going really well! We’re excited about the new season. There may even be a proposal, but don’t tell anyone!” 

Beca smiles as she hears Chloe talking to her mom. She loves that they’ve always had this relationship. It seems like Ms. Mitchell only calls Beca to ask if she can speak to Chloe nowadays. 

She’s not complaining. 

Beca stands from the sofa and walks to the chair at the kitchen table where Chloe is, leaning down from behind to blow a raspberry on her neck. Chloe laughs loudly before quickly moving the phone away from her mouth and shooing Beca away. Beca grins and retrieves the Oreos from the pantry.

“No, no, I’m sorry. That was just your daughter,” Chloe says, shooting Beca a glare. Beca shrugs innocently.

“Yeah, remember you had one of those?” She yells so her mother can hear her through the phone. Chloe rolls her eyes and smiles.

“She’s just jealous.” Beca sets the Oreos on the table and opens the sealed package, so Chloe, having already reached for them, is able to enjoy some without needing to put forth much effort. Beca turns back towards the cabinets for a glass and opens the refrigerator for the milk. “I can’t help that you enjoy my company more.”

“Doesn’t everyone?” She stage whispers, smirking. Chloe looks up at her sweetly as Beca places the glass on the table and fills it with milk. Chloe catches her free hand as she moves to return the jug and keeps it for a second, running her thumb over her fingers. Beca holds her soft gaze and winks at her, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. Wordlessly, Chloe lets go, and Beca places the milk back in the fridge. 

“Yeah, she’s great! Do you want to talk to her?” Chloe’s eyes follow Beca as she takes her place in the seat beside Chloe, vehemently shaking her head. Chloe rolls her eyes again and laughs at something Ms. Mitchell says, reaching for another Oreo and soaking it in the milk. “Okay, yeah, she’s right here … Yes, ma’am … I love you, too.”

Beca sighs exasperatedly as Chloe hands her the phone, but Chloe knows it's all a ruse. She knows that Beca and her mother have an extraordinary relationship and have since Beca was a child. The close bond they share is inspirational and beautiful and Chloe feels lucky to have gotten to be a part of it for as long as she has. 

“Hello?” Beca says into the phone, eyes lighting up when she hears her mom’s strong, southern tone. She smiles at her voice, familiar and comforting. “I’m sorry, who is this, again?”

She laughs big at whatever Darlene says to her - probably cursing at her in all of her charm. Beca’s head gets thrown back, and her free hand covers her stomach as she laughs, shoulders shaking slightly. 

Chloe watches her. 

She’s beautiful. In every sense.

This uninhibited, vulnerable, unmasked human being and best friend and lover is beautiful. 

To be allowed to see every facet, every layer, and every nature of a person and to be invited and welcomed into every dwelling place of a person’s heart and mind, no matter how shallow or how deep, is a privilege, and for Chloe to be able to experience Beca in that way every single day is absolutely unfathomable to her. 

She wants to experience her in every single way, every single day for the rest of her life.

* * *

 

**A/N: Thank you guys! This story is kind of wrapping up so there will only be a couple of more chapters left! Which is actually incredibly sad for me - this was my first story and it’s going to be hard to let this one go. :(**

**Please let me know what you think! Love you guys, thanks again.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello hello! Long time, no whatever!**

**It has been FOREVER, so thank you guys SO much for continuing to read this story. Every like and follow and comment means the absolute world to me and keeps me going.**

**With that being said, you guys deserve to take a sick day.**

* * *

 

Beca rips open the Pop-Tart packaging at the snack table directly off of the set and wraps the two pastries in a paper towel before placing them in the microwave. Exactly fifteen seconds. No more, no less. When the microwave beeps, Beca pulls the door open and removes the Pop-Tarts, breaking each one into fourths. Only then does she take the time to enjoy them. 

“You’re very peculiar,” she spins around from the table to find Jesse scrutinizing her, bemused smile in play. He moves closer and sets a cup of coffee down for her. “I know I probably don’t make it as well as Chloe does for you, but they say it’s the thought.”

Beca smiles and almost rolls her eyes at him, but she thinks better of it since he’s gone out of his way for her. 

“Thanks, dude, that’s really nice.” She takes a sip of the coffee and makes a show of enjoying it, throwing her head back and gasping. Jesse chuckles and takes a sip from his own cup.

“Okay, okay. Whatever,” he murmurs around the lip of the cup, and she smiles, popping a bite of Pop-Tart into her mouth and silently offering him some. He accepts, and they eat and drink around mild chit-chat for a few more minutes. 

As they are about to walk back towards their set, Beca notices Gail hopping down from her Director’s chair while talking on the phone with someone. Gail looks concernedly around her, and upon spotting Beca, she speaks into the phone and makes her way towards the brunette. 

“Huh, this should be awesome,” Beca says, glancing at Jesse and giving him a small smile before returning her gaze to Gail. Beca takes a sip of her coffee before Gail comes to stand in front of the pair, eyebrows knit together.

“No, really, we can do that on another day… I’m sure, Chloe, don’t worry about it. We need you feeling one hundred percent, okay? … Yeah, she’s right here, I’ll give you to her.” Gail hands her phone over to a very confused Beca who slowly raises it to her ear. 

“Chloe? Hey, what’s going on?” Beca asks, setting her coffee cup back down. She unconsciously moves away from Jesse and Gail with the notion that she’ll be able to concentrate on her girlfriend better.

“Hey, Beca,” Chloe responds, voice croaky and hoarse. She sniffles, and Beca can tell that her breathing is heavy and difficult. “Remember when I said my throat felt kind of scratchy yesterday?”

“Oh, Chloe. Baby, you sound terrible,” Beca says, switching the phone to her other ear. Chloe coughs, further proving her point. “Tell me what you feel like.”

“Um... My head feels like it’s about to explode. There’s like … a lot of pressure in … like all over my face, it feels like. My throat hurts so bad, Becs. It hurts to even talk, let alone eat or drink anything. It feels like cotton balls are in my ears? I don’t know… My whole body feels weak and achy. My nose won’t stop running either.”

Her description is slow and nasally, sniffles scattered throughout her words. She tries to clear her throat before Beca answers.

“Geez, Beale,” Beca murmurs, shaking her head slightly. She hates this. “You just woke up like this?”

“Flawless,” Chloe replies. She tries to laugh, but it turns into a fit of coughs. Beca smiles sympathetically at her attempt and waits for her to calm back down. She sniffles again before speaking. “I really don’t feel so good, Becs.”

She sounds so small. Beca’s stomach knots. 

“Okay, baby, I’m - I’ll be there soon, okay?” Beca turns around to see Gail and Jesse waiting, and she walks back towards them.

“Okay, love you,” Chloe says around another cough.

“Go back to sleep or something. I love you.” Beca hangs up the phone and hurriedly gives it back to Gail. “I need to go, is it okay if I go?”

“What good are you going to be to me if you’re here worrying about her? Go. Take care of her,” Gail says, patting Beca’s arm. Beca smiles at her gratefully and grabs her coffee cup from the table.

“Keep us updated?” Jesse requests and Beca nods, thanking him again for the coffee before marching out of the studio.

* * *

 

Beca walks briskly down the aisles of the closest pharmacy she could find to their apartment, not bothering to remove her hood or sunglasses which probably just draws even more undesired attention to herself. Her eyes quickly scan every product on the shelves: cold and flu medications, antacids, antihistamines, painkillers, antiemetics, etc. She snatches some boxes of Alka-Seltzer, bottles of NyQuil (and DayQuil, because sure), a box of Mucinex, a bottle of cough syrup, some Benadryl, Vicks VapoRub, and more pain medications, even though she knows they have plenty at home, throwing them all into the blue shopping basket that’s haphazardly dangling from her arm. She practically sprints to the checkout counter.

She knows that the teenager at the counter knows who she is because she keeps glancing up at her with too-wide, green eyes, and her hands shake as she bags all of the medications. She’s honestly moving at a much slower pace than Beca is comfortable with at the moment, but the kid’s kind of cute in her nervousness. Beca gives her a break.

“Will that be all for you?” Her voice shakes a little, and she doesn’t quite meet Beca’s eyes. Beca smiles easily at her and finally removes her sunglasses.

“Yeah, that’s it for me,” she says, grabbing the bag of medicine. She waits for a few more seconds, tapping her fingers on the counter. “What’s your name?”

The girl visibly flushes, looking at the ground. Beca’s smile turns into a grin.

“Um, Amber?” The girl says, tucking her light brown hair behind her ear. 

“Well, ‘Um, Amber?’” Beca teases gently, making Amber smile softly and look up at her. “Stay well, yeah?”

Amber smiles broadly, and Beca winks before turning and weaving through the aisles of the pharmacy towards the door.

* * *

 

Once inside the apartment, Beca sets the bag of medicine on the kitchen table and walks to the bedroom where she had left Chloe sound asleep this morning. Beca’s call time had been at five a.m. so she had been up and gone before Chloe (whose call time was supposed to be at noon) so much as rolled over. 

Beca can already hear regular but heavy, labored breaths before she even reaches the entrance, and she knows that Chloe must be asleep again. She walks through the doorway and pauses.

Chloe is curled up on Beca’s side of the bed, pillows dispersed fitfully across the bed’s span. Her head is resting just off of one and the bedding is pulled away from the corners, tucking Chloe in snugly. It looks like she’s wrestled but won. Used tissues are scattered beside her on the covers and on the bedside table, and her old copy of  _ The Great Gatsby  _ is on the floor like its fallen off of the bed.

She has the stuffed lion that Ms. Mitchell gave her when she was ten wrapped in her arms, hand loosely clutching the animal’s red mane. Her glasses sit lopsided on her face, and Beca knows that they’re going to cut into her nose and make her sore there if she doesn’t remove them soon.

She stares a little bit longer.

And pulls out her phone from her back pocket, taking a picture.

Beca moves closer to her and sets the Starbucks drink she picked up on the way on the bedside table, knocking some tissues out of the way with the cup as she does so. She kneels quietly beside Chloe and picks up her book, placing it on the table as well. 

She looks back at Chloe, crossing her arms in front of her on the bed. Being this close, Beca sees a crease in between Chloe’s eyebrows that isn’t usually there when she sleeps. 

Beca hates that crease.

She leans over and kisses Chloe’s forehead softly before bringing her hands up to try smoothly removing Chloe’s glasses. It proves to be a somewhat difficult task, however, because one side of Chloe’s face is resting heavily against the mattress. Chloe stirs slightly, and Beca freezes mid-removal. 

Chloe’s hand detaches itself from the lion’s mane and slowly finds the source of what has awaken her. Her hand comes to rest on top of Beca’s which is still holding the temple of Chloe’s glasses.

Chloe’s eyes flutter open, and Beca watches them register everything. They’re glassy and watery but she smiles up at Beca and squeezes her hand weakly before dropping it back down to the stuffed lion and Beca kind of just wants to hold her.

Beca slips Chloe’s glasses back on correctly so she’s able to see properly. Chloe smiles gratefully at her, and Beca sweeps some wayward strands of hair out of her face, letting her fingertips brush her temple. 

“Hi,” Beca greets softly, tracing her cheekbone with her thumb. Chloe’s smile widens, and Beca’s heart stammers. “What are you doing over here on this side?”

“Smells like you,” Chloe says, her voice little more than a whisper with the combination of her sore throat and having just woken up.

“Whatever,” Beca melts. Chloe  _ kills  _ her. “Like you can smell anything right now.”

Chloe scrunches her red nose up at Beca, but the action quickly turns into a sneeze. Before she or Beca can brace themselves for anything, Beca feels herself being sprayed by the sheer force of it.

“I’m sor-”

“Oh, that is so gross. Okay,” Beca says, snatching tissues from the box on the bedside table and giving a few to Chloe before using the rest to wipe her arms off. “Bless you.”

Chloe smiles apologetically at her, and Beca smiles back. She stands up and reaches all around Chloe, carefully picking up all of her used tissues from the bed and the table. Moving to the bathroom, she tosses them into the garbage can and washes her hands, making sure to wash her arms as well. 

A good ten minute scrubbing should do the trick.

“I heard something on the radio the other day about this drink at Starbucks called the Medicine Ball?” She says from her place at the sink, hoping Chloe hears her over the running water. “Had never heard of it but it’s supposed to work wonders for this kind of sick stuff.”

She turns the water off and dries her hands. When she walks out of the bathroom, Chloe is already sitting up and clutching the warm cup in both hands. 

“It’s like steamed lemonade and two types of tea - a minty one and like … peach, I think? And some honey and peppermint, too,” Beca continues, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Hope you like it?”

Chloe smiles so genuinely that it makes Beca want to scream. It’s like Chloe doesn’t believe that someone should get tea for her at Starbucks everyday of her life. 

“Thank you, baby,” she says, and Beca clenches her jaw because while she knows that her voice is raspy because she’s sick, it makes her knees weak all the same.

“Of course, Red,” Beca responds, kicking her shoes off of her feet. Chloe takes a sip of the tea, and her eyes instantly widen. The warm, citrus taste soothes her throat perfectly. 

“Oh my God,” she says, sniffling and taking another sip. Beca beams. “This is delicious, Becs.”

“I’m glad, babe.” Beca stands up from the bed and moves her shoes to the closet. Shedding her jacket, she takes a hanger down and places the jacket in the closet as well. “Do you want to try to take some medicine? Basically the entire pharmacy is at your disposal, m’lady.”

“Did you pick up some Alka-Seltzer?” Chloe asks hopefully, coughing a little. 

“Duh, I know how much you like to watch it fizz.” Beca rolls her eyes and walks to her dresser to fish out some sweatpants. Chloe laughs lightly.

“It’s the little joys in life, Becs,” she says. Beca removes her jeans and slips into the sweats, aware of Chloe’s eyes on her as she does so. 

“Pervert,” Beca throws over her shoulder.

Chloe smiles sweetly at her and sets her cup down. 

“You’re just  _ so  _ pretty,” she says, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, and Beca blushes. The sickness is clearly making Chloe delusional.

Beca clears her throat. “I’m going to go get your medicine.”

In the kitchen, Beca pulls a glass from the cabinet above the sink and fills it all the way with water. She opens the packet of Alka-Seltzer and almost drops the two tablets in before thinking better of it. 

Chloe really does like to watch them fizz, so she takes the glass and the packet into the bedroom and sets the glass on the bedside table. 

“Okay, ready?” Beca asks, raising her eyebrows, completely serious. Chloe looks confused, so Beca shakes the packet as way of explanation. Chloe smiles slowly as the realization dawns on her, and she shakes her head slightly. 

“Ready,” she says, not taking her eyes from Beca as she tilts the packet and drops the tablets into the glass. They start fizzing immediately, and Chloe watches with the rapt amazement of a child, eyes not leaving Beca’s face once.

It’s the little joys in life.

* * *

 

Beca is sitting up in the bed, letting the fingers of one hand card through the red curls in her lap while those of the other apply gentle pressure to Chloe’s temple where Beca knows that she’s experiencing some pain. Beca had eventually been able to convince Chloe to slide back to her side of the bed so she could lie down with her. It had taken minimal prodding.

Chloe sighs and burrows her head deeper into Beca’s lap. Beca watches her close her eyes before she directs her own attention back to the movie that Chloe had chosen for them.

_ You’ve Got Mail _ .

Again.

“I love your hands.”

Beca’s eyes dart back to Chloe’s face. Her eyes are still closed, but she’s mouthing the words to the movie in perfect sync. She’s phenomenal. Or insane.

“I’m sure you do,” Beca responds suggestively, and Chloe smirks. She rolls over so that she’s lying on her back, looking up at Beca. Her nose and cheeks are red and she’s beautiful and Beca doesn’t know when her breath is going to stop catching if it hasn’t already. 

She hopes never.

“I’m being serious,” Chloe insists, eyes growing innocently wide as she smiles. Beca lets the hand that had been massaging her temple move to Chloe’s hip, tapping a rhythm there. “They’re the sweetest hands in the world.”

Beca rolls her eyes but tries to hide the blush she knows is sweeping up her neck. Chloe chuckles, and she knows that she didn’t succeed. 

“Whatever, Beale,” she says as she toys with the drawstring of Chloe’s pajama pants. “Are you feeling hungry at all yet? It’s getting later into the afternoon and you’ve only snacked on some things today.”

Chloe considers the idea of eating and scrunches her face up, the thought of it not seeming all that appealing to her. 

“I don’t know, I feel like I don’t really have much of an appetite for anything right now,” she says, resting her hands on her belly. Her voice sounds stronger than it did earlier, but it still isn’t its usual bright, clear tone. Beca runs her fingers over the back of Chloe’s.

“Well, I think you should probably try to eat a little something. I don’t want you unintentionally starving yourself,” Beca says. After a beat, “Or intentionally!”

Chloe laughs, and a cough immediately follows. Beca winces at how painful it sounds. When it subsides, she clears her throat.

“You sound like your mother.”

“Okay, OUCH,” Beca says, raising her eyebrows at her. “Go wash your mouth out with soap.”

Chloe smiles and pushes herself up weakly. She sits cross-legged facing Beca and plucks a tissue from the box perched on her own pillow. As she blows into it, Beca watches with a disgusted face. 

“You should not be able to produce this much snot,” she says, taking the tissue from her gingerly and tossing it beside her into the small garbage can that she brought out from the bathroom.

Chloe looks far too proud of herself.

“I think maybe I could try some soup?” Chloe suggests hesitantly, continuing their previous conversation. Beca directs her attention back to her and smiles.

“Yeah? You sure?” Beca asks, placing her hand on top of Chloe’s. “Because the last thing I want to do is pressure you into doing something you aren’t actually ready for.”

Chloe rolls her eyes and ignores her. Beca’s smile widens into a grin and she grabs the hand that she’s covering. She pulls Chloe into her gently, getting her to lie against her chest. Chloe places her head on Beca’s collarbone and nuzzles Beca’s neck, breathing in what she can smell of her. Chloe snakes her arms around Beca’s back and relaxes, letting all of her weight rest on the woman beneath her.

“Mmm,” Chloe hums, letting her lips brush Beca’s skin. Beca inhales deeply, running her hands up Chloe’s back, over her shoulders, and back down again. “Never mind, I don’t want any now.”

Beca chuckles and brushes Chloe’s hair out of her face.

“Chicken noodle?” She entices. Chloe moves her head slightly to look at Beca’s face. “I mean, that sounds  _ so  _ good, right?”

Chloe looks at her for a few seconds longer before responding, relishing this side of Beca. She loves the contrast between the nurturing, caring, concerned lover that she knows and the cool, casual badass that everyone else only sees. Hiding behind that indifferent attitude is a heart three times too big that she constantly tries to convince the world she doesn’t have.

She has never convinced Chloe. 

So Chloe is the luckiest woman in the world.

Beca looks back at her after she hasn’t said anything. Chloe memorizes her in this moment. The way her lips pull up at one corner. The way her deep blue eyes scan Chloe’s face. The way her eyebrows draw together slightly. She wants to have memorized how sweetly and in what ways Beca loves her at all times.

“I want you to kiss me so badly right now,” Chloe says. Her voice is gravelly again, and Beca swallows hard. Not thinking about her being sick, Beca begins to lean down towards her, more than willing to accommodate her.

Chloe, however, quickly turns her head into Beca’s neck. 

“No!” Her protest is muffled, and it vibrates against Beca’s skin, threatening to kill her. “I’m sick!”

Beca lets her head roll back to fall against the headboard. She takes stock of the medicine bottles and tissue boxes surrounding them. 

“Hadn’t noticed.”

* * *

 

After Chloe eats half of her bowl of chicken noodle soup, she feels gross after spending practically all day sick in bed and decides she wants a bath. Beca agrees that would be a good idea for her and suggests that the warm water might help some of the achiness she feels subside.

As Beca sits on the side of the jacuzzi bathtub, dropping a bath bomb into the water and making sure the temperature is right, she watches as Chloe, wrapped in a towel, concentrates on putting her hair up into a bun. 

Her slender fingers gather her curls into a perfectly messy knot on top of her head and she twists the tie around it, holding it in place. Wisps of hair fall down onto her neck while others frame her face beautifully. Beca is entranced.

She shuts the water off, deeming the bathtub appropriately filled and stands up, making her way to where Chloe is standing in front of the mirror. She wraps her arms around Chloe’s waist from behind and Chloe instinctively leans back against her. 

“Jesus, Beale,” Beca says, kissing the junction of Chloe’s neck and shoulder. Chloe smiles and looks at Beca’s face in the mirror. 

“You gonna join me?” She asks, and Beca looks back at her.

“Sure, but no funny business,” she smirks. “We’re not gonna be doing anything dirty if I can’t actually kiss you.”

Chloe spins out of Beca’s arms and drops her towel. Beca keeps her eyes on her face. 

“Good thing we’ll be getting clean, then,” Chloe says, winking cheekily.

“Damn it,” Beca says, slowly stripping out of her clothes as Chloe steps into the bath. She sits close to the faucet, leaving room for Beca to get in and sit behind her. Beca does so, taking care not to disrupt the water too much.

They relax back, and Chloe turns the jets on, letting her head fall against Beca’s chest. The warm water feels good against her muscles and joints and she realizes quickly that she won’t be awake long after this.

Beca seems to know this, and she smiles as Chloe sighs and closes her eyes, letting the water flow all around them. She presses a kiss to the side of Chloe’s head before leaning her chin there. She lets her fingers trace the skin that’s still exposed on Chloe’s shoulder and arm.

Beca takes the washcloth from the side of the tub and dunks it in the water. Careful not to disturb Chloe, she reaches for the redhead’s body wash in the corner of the tub and squirts some onto the cloth. After lathering it up, she gently massages it over Chloe’s body.

She starts with her shoulders, then her arms, then her torso, moving down to her legs. Chloe smiles at how careful Beca is and at how much she’s pampering her.

“I’ll have to get sick more often,” Chloe says, raising herself up slightly so Beca can wash her back. Beca chuckles quietly and leans forward, placing a sweet kiss on Chloe’s shoulder blade. Chloe can feel her smile against her skin. Her throat constricts.

“Oh, totes,” Beca agrees sarcastically, thinking this really isn’t such a bad gig.

* * *

 

Clean and dressed for bed, Beca retrieves a new glass from the cabinet and fills it with water, sliding it to an expectant Chloe standing at the kitchen counter. Beca tears open the packet and hands it to the redhead.

“You can do the honors this time,” she says, bowing slightly. 

Placing a hand over her heart dramatically, she thanks Beca. Tilting the packet, she watches as the tablets drop into the glass and start to fizz. When they’re completely finished, she downs the medication with minimal facial protest. She fills the glass with more water and drinks it.

“Okay, ready to go to bed?” She asks Beca who takes the glass and sets it in the sink. 

“Uh,” Beca says, turning around from the sink and walking back towards Chloe. “Not quite.”

Chloe furrows her eyebrows at her, but Beca keeps walking towards her. When she reaches her, she wraps one arm around Chloe’s waist and cups Chloe’s cheek with the other hand, pressing her lips firmly to Chloe’s.

Chloe is slightly taken aback at first, but she swiftly melts into the kiss, clutching at Beca’s T-shirt softly. Beca’s lips expertly move against hers, and Beca’s tongue sweeps her bottom lip tenderly.

Beca gently breaks apart from her, and Chloe can’t help but chase her lips. Beca grins, taking a deep breath. 

“You could have tuberculosis for all I care,” she says, kissing Chloe once more. “I hadn’t done that in more than twenty-four hours, and I felt like I was going to scream.”

Chloe exhales a laugh and leans her forehead against Beca’s cheek. 

“I hope you remember that when you wake up with a sore throat in the morning,” she says, picking her head back up. Beca chuckles and leads them to the bedroom. 

“You taste like mucus, by the way,” Beca says, throwing back the comforter.

Chloe gasps and throws a pillow at her. 

“You can find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”

The next morning, Chloe’s the one that has to make the run to Starbucks when Beca wakes up and can barely talk.

**A/N: Thanks guys! I literally love you.**

**Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know your thoughts!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello!!!! I love you guys! Thank you for being loyal and staying with me!! You’re the best.**

**I hope you enjoy this one! Let me know what you think!**

**Again, you guys are the best.**

* * *

 

Not being one to really complain about having nothing to do for a few days while her girlfriend is the only one being called to the studio for reshoots, Beca relishes her time on the couch in front of the trash reality television that she refuses to admit to Chloe she actually enjoys. There’s something about it that allows her to completely turn her brain off, needing to focus solely on what the Kardashians or Housewives are going to argue over next.

However, somewhere amid her third peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fifth rerun of  _ The Real Housewives of Atlanta _ , and twelfth meaningful glance towards the bar cart holding seemingly endless bottles of wine and champagne that they’re saving for “special occasions” (whatever that means), Beca begins to feel a bit restless.

Moving as little as possible, she reaches from her sprawled position on the sofa to grab her phone off of the coffee table. After her fourth attempt to unlock it with her thumbprint fails, she sighs and lazily keys in her passcode. She taps on Instagram and smiles as she scrolls through the countless pictures her friends have posted over the course of twenty-four hours. 

Her smile spreads into a grin when she comes across one that Stacie Conrad posted two hours ago of herself and Chloe playing UNO in Stacie’s trailer and waiting to be called for another scene. She double-taps hastily and chuckles at Stacie’s caption that says “u no I win every time.” Beca looks more closely at Chloe in the picture, paying attention to the way her hair is curled over her shoulder and her head is tilted back, eyes closed and mouth stretched wide. The hand that isn’t holding her cards is resting on her stomach, and Beca can  _ hear  _ that laugh. 

It amazes her how much joy Chloe can bring her through just a picture on a phone screen. 

With another sigh, Beca opens her messages, tapping on her thread with Chloe at the top. She types half of a “what are you doing?” message before deciding against it and opening up Snapchat instead. 

She snaps a picture of half of her face and types “quit playing uno and come home” before sending it to Chloe and locking her phone again, laying it on her stomach. Turning her attention back towards the television, she’s confronted with crying and screaming women all literally pointing their fingers at each other. Narrowing her eyes at the commotion, she slowly turns her head to look at her phone after its vibration ripples across her stomach.

She realizes that the notification is a Snapchat from Chloe and unlocks her phone quickly. Thrilled to see that Chloe’s sent her a video, she switches on her phone’s volume, already smiling at the prospect of being able to see her face.

The video, however, is only a shot of Chloe’s feet as she walks to the set, and her voice sounds over the crunch of her shoes on the concrete lot saying “Sorry, Becs, looks like we’re gonna be here for several more hours at the rate things are going.”

Beca huffs and takes a selfie, looking unimpressed. She captions it with “fine, beale. at least send me a pic of your face.”

Chloe responds almost immediately, and Beca smiles, waiting for the Snap to load. Once she taps on it, she’s grateful that Chloe has suspended the usual timer. Beca stares at the face on her screen as it smiles brightly at the camera. Chloe’s vibrant blue eyes are brilliant in the sunlight, and her red lipstick makes Beca swallow hard. Her chest tightens, and she desperately wants to run her hands through the copper tresses that she can tell are being blown some by the wind. 

Beca stares for a few more craving seconds before taking a screenshot and replying with a selfie of herself sporting a soft smile and closed eyes. She types out “thank you” and sends it to her.

* * *

 

After thirty minutes pass and there’s still been no response from Chloe, Beca decides that she’s had enough of the Atlanta Housewives and lying on the couch (never did she think she would feel that way). She flips the television to a music channel and stands up from the couch, stretching her arms high above her head. Walking towards the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge, she passes by the framed picture of herself and Chloe with Grayson and Avery from a little over a year ago and pauses.

Grayson is perched on Beca’s shoulders and resting his chin on top of her head. He’s smiling sweetly at the camera while a party hat sits lopsided on his golden curls. Chloe is wearing a hat as well and holding Avery in her arms, pointing at the camera to coax the then nine-month-old into looking towards it. Beca is grinning in the picture as she looks over at Avery. They had all been at Luke and Aubrey’s vacation home in the Hamptons, celebrating Grayson’s fifth birthday that day.

Beca smiles as she remembers how much fun that day had been and moves towards the fridge again, not believing that little boy is already six years old now. Snatching a water from the door, she closes it and leans back against it. She takes a swig from the bottle and caps it, drumming her fingers on the door as she lets her head fall back.

She pushes off of the fridge after taking another sip of water and sets the bottle on the counter beside her. She walks back to the living area and plucks her phone off of the coffee table, unlocking it and opening up her contacts. Finding Aubrey’s name, she taps on it and holds her phone to her ear, chewing on her thumbnail as she waits for Aubrey to answer.

She doesn’t have to wait long as Aubrey, being herself, answers her on the first ring. She seems distracted as she answers, however, greeting Beca with a polite and professional “Hello, this is Aubrey Beale.”

Beca furrows her eyebrows and smiles bemusedly. “Um, yeah? It’s Beca, Aubrey.”

“Oh! Gosh, I’m sorry, I didn’t even look to see who was calling me,” she says, laughing softly into the phone. Beca hears papers being shuffled around, and the distinct sound of Ace of Base in the background floats through to her ear. Beca narrows her eyes even further and her smile becomes a smirk. 

“You’re working, huh? Is this a bad time?”

“Uhh…no! No. Not a b-” She’s abruptly cut off by something, and Beca listens and licks her lips, waiting. More papers shuffle furiously, and Beca hears a drawer slam shut.

“Aubrey?” Beca asks hesitantly.

“Yeah, no, it’s not a bad time! I’m just going over this case, what’s up?” Aubrey responds, and Beca chuckles, knowing that Aubrey throws herself into her work and doesn’t like to be drawn out of it if she’s in that mode. 

“Okay, well, I’ll keep this short, then. I just wan-”

“No, Avery! Grayson! Do not let Avery put that in her mouth, get it!” Beca both marvels at Aubrey’s ability to sound equal parts calm and frantic and lights up at the mention of the very two reasons she was calling. 

“Oh, they’re there? You have the kids with you?” She asks excitedly despite already having her answer.

“Yeah, I brought them to the office with me because I had only planned to be here for a couple of hours and didn’t want to bother with the sitter,” she replies, sounding a bit sheepish.

“Well, they’re actually why I’m calling! I know Luke is away in San Diego for that conference, so I wanted to see if you’d let me give you a break and take them off your hands for the rest of the day? Chloe’s doing reshoots and I’m by myself, so…” Beca explains herself, knowing full well that her sole intention in taking the kids is because she wants to see them and not to give Aubrey a probably much needed respite for the afternoon.

“Oh, Beca, would you,  _ please _ ?” Beca smiles sympathetically at the desperation in Aubrey’s voice. So maybe she does want to help her, as well. Sue her for being nice.

“I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

* * *

 

When Beca walks into Aubrey’s office, she’s immediately attacked by Grayson who wraps his arms around her legs and looks up at her with puppy dog eyes. Beca vaguely wonders if that’s a learned behavior from Chloe or if it’s an inherited trait.

“You took forever,” he says pitifully, squeezing her legs. Beca laughs and looks down into his green eyes, combing a hand through his unruly curls. 

“Sorry, buddy, New York traffic stops for no one. Or...does it stop for everyone?” she jokes, and she looks over to see Avery scrambling down from her mother’s lap and pumping her little legs quickly towards the brunette. Beca gasps dramatically and holds her arms out, ready to scoop the toddler up.

“And how,” she says, grasping Avery beneath her armpits and hoisting her onto her hip, “is the prettiest girl in the world?”

Avery giggles delightedly and throws her arms around Beca’s neck. Beca’s grin couldn’t be wider.

“She’s pretty tired, but thanks for asking,” Aubrey sighs, rolling her chair out from under her desk and standing up. She straightens her business suit and moves towards them. She still looks like her pristine and put-together self, but Beca can tell that she could probably use a good nap or seven. “Thank you so much for doing this.”

“I guess I should be the one thanking you, really,” Beca says, kissing Avery’s cheek as the little girl giggles again and draws out a high-pitched squeal. Beca grins and leans in to kiss her other cheek, but Avery stops her, planting her tiny hands on Beca’s face.

“Noooo!” She screeches in all of her two-year-old might, and Beca draws her bottom lip between her teeth to quell her impending laughter. “My makeup!”

Beca’s mouth drops open as her eyebrows draw together. “Your…” She looks at Aubrey who only rolls her eyes and shrugs, waving a hand noncommittally. “Makeup?”

Avery sighs exasperatedly and rubs her hand on her own cheek before holding it palm-up in front of Beca’s face, showing her the proof of the “makeup” that is  _ clearly  _ on her face. 

“Oh… Yes, I’m very…” Beca says, slowly leaning towards Avery’s face again. Avery starts to giggle despite herself. “...sorry.” Beca kisses her cheek with a loud smack. “I wouldn’t want to -” a kiss to Avery’s other cheek as she wriggles in her grasp, “mess it up -” another kiss, “just for sweet Avery kisses.” She pecks Avery’s cheek several more times for good measure before finally setting her on her feet. The toddler screams gleefully and plants her lips on Beca’s leg once on the ground, running away immediately afterward. Beca laughs and watches as Grayson takes off after her in the spacious office.

“So, that’s how you make all the ladies swoon, huh?” Aubrey smiles gently at Beca as their eyes meet again, and Beca blushes, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

“I know, I’m just so charming. I don’t know how Chloe survives really,” Beca says, lifting her shoulders. Aubrey shakes her head and gestures for her to take a seat.

“Grayson, honey, will you make sure your things are all put away for me? Avery, sweetheart, pick up your toys, please. Help her if you see that she needs it, Gray.” Aubrey sits at her own desk across from Beca and shoots a sharp look at Grayson as he starts to protest. Beca winks at him, and he smiles. Aubrey leans back in her chair and folds her hands across her abdomen, observing Beca. “How are you two?”

Beca looks back at her, raising her eyebrows. “Oh, um… We’re…” Beca inhales deeply, considering her answer. Considering all of the insufficient descriptors. “Incredible,” she exhales.

Aubrey smiles, eyes bright as she nods. 

“Happy,” Beca continues. “I’ve never been…” She shakes her head and shrugs. “I’ve still never felt this way, you know?”

Aubrey leans back up in her chair, looking Beca earnestly in the eye. “I’m glad, Beca. You two deserve that. With each other.”

Beca nods gratefully as Aubrey leans back again. Beca looks behind her to check on the kids’ progress with putting their things away.

“Have you found one yet?”

Beca’s eyes immediately dart to Aubrey’s again as the blonde smirks at her. Beca’s eyebrows knit together as she suspects what Aubrey’s asking about. Her features soften into a smile when she realizes how Aubrey must know. 

“Luke told you?” She glances down and picks at a hangnail.

“Well, yeah, you thought the biggest mouth in New York City wasn’t going to tell his own wife?” Aubrey grins at Beca’s nerves. 

“Well, sh-” Aubrey fixes her with a glare before she curses in front of the kids. Beca winces and looks apologetic. “He’s not going to tell his own sister is he?”

She might as well have said that Mariah Carey had always been trash with the way Aubrey looks at her. “God! No! Are you out of your mind? I would kill him my _ self  _ if he ruined that for the both of you.”

Beca exhales a laugh through her nose and leans her head against her fist. “Well, then, thanks for looking out ‘Bree.”

Aubrey nods once and smooths out her blazer. “But...that means you’ve found one, correct?”

Beca picks her head up and smiles softly at Aubrey. She bites her lip as she starts to nod gently, thinking about the tiny, black velvet box that’s in her nightstand drawer.

“Yeah. Yeah, I...found  _ the  _ one.”

* * *

 

Chloe sits in her trailer, painting her toenails and drinking some apple juice while she waits for the time of her next scene to roll around. She’s been at the studio for six hours already and still has another six to go, and all she really wants to do is go home, take a warm bubble bath, and make Beca play the piano for her. Alas… 

She looks over at her phone when it vibrates on the table, seeing that she has a message from Beca. 

“thinking about you.”

She grins and grabs her phone with her free hand. She unlocks the message and types out “You read my mind, baby. Can’t wait to see you.”

She sets her phone back down and goes back to painting her toenails. When she hears her phone vibrate against the table again, she smiles immediately, expecting another text from Beca. What she’s met with instead is a google alert, notifying her that Beca has been spotted out with “her girlfriend’s niece and nephew - the two young children of top New York based lawyers, Luke and Aubrey Beale.” 

Chloe snorts, reading the article she’s been directed to as more alerts flash across the top of her screen. In it is a picture of Beca holding Avery who has an ice cream cone in her hands. Grayson stands close by, licking his own ice cream as Beca keeps a guiding hand on his back. 

Chloe smiles sweetly at the picture, biting her lip. Grayson and Avery aren’t really strangers to paparazzi, being connected to Beca and Chloe and having parents who work on some of the most high-profile cases in New York City. They’ve been surrounded by well-known names their entire lives.

Chloe chuckles and opens up her contacts. She finds Aubrey’s name and taps the call icon.

“Hey, Chloe!” First ring.

“Hey, ‘Bree!” Chloe grins, holding the phone between her ear and her shoulder and screwing the top back on the nail polish. “What are you up to?”

“Finally getting some real work done,” Aubrey says, laughing lightly. “What about you?”

“Oh…” Chloe looks at her painted toenails and at the stack of UNO cards she brought back from Stacie’s trailer. “I know, right? Me, too!”

Aubrey laughs again, and Chloe brightens at it. She’s been so busy, and it’s good to just hear her laugh. 

“So, hey?” Chloe starts, wiggling her toes. “Why am I seeing pictures of my girlfriend and your kids all over the Internet?”

“Chloe, she’s a miracle. She called and asked if she could come take them off of my hands,” Aubrey relays excitedly. “And now they’re out doing God only knows what! It’s amazing.”

Chloe laughs at her and stands up from the table to get more juice. “I’m glad she was able to give you a break, ‘Bree.”

“I’m telling you, Chloe,” Aubrey sighs happily. “If you don’t marry her, I will.”

Chloe grins, pouring another glass. “Too bad for you, then, I guess.”

* * *

 

Just as Chloe is settling into the couch with a book and the blanket that smells like Beca because the brunette uses it so often, there’s a knock on her trailer door. She furrows her eyebrows and listens for more sounds, knowing that she has another hour before she’s due on set. 

“Stace?” She calls out. “That you?”

Hearing nothing else, she throws the blanket off and sets the book down, standing up from the couch. She unlocks her door and peers outside but sees no one. She narrows her eyes and clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth before closing and locking her door again.

Right before she sits down, there’s another knock. She turns around swiftly and races to the door, unlocking it and pushing it open. There stands Beca with Grayson and Avery, all grinning from ear to ear. 

“We got you!” Grayson yells, surging his arms in the air.

“We got you so good,” Beca says, bouncing Avery up and down. 

“Surprise!” Avery claps her hands before reaching out for Chloe. 

Chloe gasps and her hands go to her heart. “You guys!” She takes Avery from Beca, kissing her on the cheek as she rests her on her hip. She steps aside to let them come in. “What are you all doing here? I’m so happy to see you!”

“We missed you, Aunt Chloe!” Avery explains like it’s obvious, stroking Chloe’s face. Chloe smiles at her and tucks her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. 

“Yeah, lots,” Grayson says quietly. Chloe looks down at him and pulls him into her, running her hand through his locks and lightly massaging his scalp. She bends down to kiss the top of his head.

“Too much.” Chloe hears as she stands upright to see Beca looking at her, sincere affection on her face. Chloe feels her heart stammer, and Beca moves closer to her. 

Beca reaches out and gently holds her hips, tugging on her ever so lightly. Chloe closes her eyes in anticipation of her kiss, letting herself forget her surroundings. Beca presses her lips to Chloe’s softly, tenderly moving them against hers. 

“Ewww. Gross!” They hear a small voice that pronounces ‘r’s as ‘w’s say beside them, and Beca breaks away, smiling at Avery. 

“You’re right. Gross. Never kiss anybody, got it, Ave?” Avery nods ferociously, taking Beca’s words deeply to heart. Chloe laughs and kisses Beca’s jaw as she’s still turned towards Avery. She looks back down at Grayson who’s still hugged to her side, smiling up at them. 

“When are you gonna stop growing, Gray?” Chloe asks, tapping his nose.

“I hope never. I gotta be as tall as you one day so I can take you on a date,” he says, squeezing her tighter.

“Oh, is that the requirement now?” Beca asks dejectedly, moving towards the couch. Chloe laughs and sets Avery down, watching as she spots the book Chloe was going to read and hurries to it. She hands it to Beca and clambers up to sit with the brunette. Beca eyes her to ensure she doesn’t need help and adjusts her yellow dress for her when she’s finally settled against Beca’s side. Chloe smiles warmly at them and the thought that Avery is so used to Beca reading things to her. 

“You can take me out anytime, Gray. I don’t care how tall you are.” Chloe ruffles the boy’s curls. She moves to the fridge, knowing that everyone will probably want apple juice.

“What a relief,” Chloe hears Beca whisper to Avery, and she has to bite back a laugh. 

“Actually… I have a girlfriend,” Grayson says softly, looking down at his feet. Chloe and Beca both look back at him instantly.

“What?!” Chloe accidentally slams a cabinet door.

“I’m sorry?” Beca’s smirk grows into a grin.

“Her name is Maggie. She...is really good at multiplying, and she likes to play soccer with me. She has brown hair. And brown eyes… She likes to read. You guys always said to look for a girl that likes to read.” Grayson fidgets with the zipper on his jacket and doesn’t meet their eyes. Beca bites her lip and looks at Chloe. Chloe looks back at her and opens her mouth in disbelief. 

“Well, I mean, it’s no wonder with your crazy good looks and super charm and smarts, right?” Chloe says, going to scoop him in for another hug. Beca looks at Avery who has taken the book out of her lap and is holding it upside down, “reading” it. 

“Gray!” Beca says, turning her attention back to the boy. “C’mere, buddy.”

Chloe lets go of him and turns back to the juice. Grayson walks over to Beca with his hands in his pockets, smiling shyly. 

“Dude!” Beca says, cupping his face and making him meet her eyes. “Look at you go!” 

Grayson covers her hands with his own, letting his smile grow and shrugging. “I mean, whatever.”

Chloe shakes her head as she pours the glasses at how  _ exactly like  _ Beca he just sounded. Beca laughs and hugs him to herself. 

“You better be treating her like a princess,” Beca says, resting her cheek on the top of his head.

“I’m treating her like a  _ Queen _ ,” he responds, muffled by her shirt. Beca picks her head up and looks back at Chloe who had already turned to look at her, jaw dropped again.

* * *

 

“Okay, guys, we should probably head out in a few to let Aunt Chloe get back to work, okay?” Beca says, taking a sip of her apple juice. 

“Aww, Aunt Beca, you’re just saying that because you’re tired of losing in UNO,” Grayson says, laughing as Avery giggles in Chloe’s lap.

“I resent that, sir,” Beca responds, laying her cards face-down. “But, you do catch on quickly.”

Chloe smiles apologetically and wraps an arm around Avery. “I do have another scene in twenty minutes.”

Beca smiles at her before resting her arms on the back of the booth. “Okay, kiddos, let’s go. I need to be getting you home, anyway.”

“No!” Avery objects, nestling further into Chloe’s lap. Beca raises her eyebrows at her.

“No?” She asks as she stands up from the table. “You don’t want to go home? See your mommy?”

Avery looks deeply conflicted by this line of questioning, carefully considering all of her options and weighing her desire to see her mother. Defeated, her shoulders slump.

“Okay, Aunt Beca.” She throws her cards on the table and crawls off of Chloe’s lap.

“Okay. Atta girl,” Beca says, pulling her jacket off of the back of the chair. “Way to be a good sport.”

Grayson scoots off of the booth and pulls his tennis shoes on as Chloe gathers the UNO cards together and stacks them. She stands up from the table and helps Avery with her shoes.

Once everyone is ready, Chloe sets Avery down after giving her tight hugs and loud kisses. Beca chuckles as the little girl screams, running away from Chloe. Beca moves closer to Chloe, smiling softly. She wraps her arms around Chloe’s waist as the redhead’s slender arms circle around her neck. 

“Grayson, cover your sister’s eyes for me,” Beca says, leaning in and kissing the grin off of Chloe’s face. Chloe inhales through her nose, and Beca runs her tongue along Chloe’s bottom lip. Beca moves her fingertips up Chloe’s spine as Chloe’s fingers curl in Beca’s hair. Beca can feel a moan bubbling in her throat, so she breaks the kiss before anything happens.

Chloe exhales and kisses Beca’s jaw before pecking her lips again. Beca smiles at her and pulls her into a hug, burying her face into Chloe’s neck. She squeezes her tightly as Chloe runs her hand through her hair. She pulls back, kisses Chloe’s temple, and turns to see both Grayson and Avery staring at them, one bewildered and the other borderline disgusted. 

Beca laughs and opens the door. “You guys will understand one day, I promise.”

They look unconvinced. Beca circles around, making sure they have everything.

“Okay? Everyone good?” She gets nods from both children. “Cool, let’s go.”

She turns back around swiftly and kisses Chloe chastely once more. “I love you, Red.”

“I love you, sweetie,” Chloe says, smiling. “Be careful.”

“Of course.”

* * *

 

Just after they’ve left, Chloe spots Avery’s sippy cup on her kitchen counter. She snatches it and grabs her phone, taking a picture of the cup. As she’s about to send it to Beca, there’s a knock on her door.

Chloe smiles and moves towards it.

“Coming!” She says, unlocking the door and pushing it open. “Yeah, somebody forgot their s-”

The cup falls from her hand when she looks up. Fear seizes her and spreads out from her chest through every limb in her body, grabbing at her throat and choking her. Blood that’s turned ice cold rushes through her ears, and she can’t hear anything. 

“Hi, Chlo,” Tom snarls, inching up her steps.

**A/N: Hi, yeah, so this chapter ended up taking me in a** **_completely_ ** **different direction than I was planning on going…**

**Like, basically wrote itself, it was a really weird experience.**

**Hope you liked it though, love you guys! THANK YOU SO MUCH.**


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